I Guess I Could Slow Down for Love
by Kodoku1991
Summary: They were told to go after her. But who is she? What is she? And why does he feel he must protect her? HieiOC -Slowly re-editing-
1. Who is she?

The boys had just been given their next assignment. It was a girl. Koenma wanted this girl for something, but they didn't know what. All the spirit detectives knew about her is that she is a full demon of only one breed. All they knew of her looks was that she has hair and skin the color of snow, and that her eyes change color. Her size? She's smaller than Hiei by about eight centimeters. The team was sent in to Makai with rope, nets, and a pair of spirit cuffs. This girl is a demon; can't she rip through rope and nets?

The portal dropped the boys off at the small island where she had been sighted. It was a summer island, the weather warm and pleasant, and the land full of greenery. It should be easy to find a girl with white skin and hair.

The two idiots immediately suggested the troupe split up to search the island. The fire demon rolled his eyes, but turned to search the north side of the island anyway. There was a large snow-capped mountain was in front of Hiei, pointing directly north. It made it easy to keep his direction.

Crimson eyes saw everything and overlooked nothing, but a rustle of the brush surprised him. The male froze, before slowly moving to grip the handle of his katana. Ruby eyes narrowed as they scanned the forestry.

Another movement a head of him and he took off, quickly following the sound. He saw a flash of white hair and stopped.

_{Kurama.}_

_{Yes, Hiei?}_

_{I found her. Base of the mountain.}_

_{We're on our way. Keep her in your sight}_

Hiei took off after the girl, but she seemed to have disappeared. He was cautious as he exited the forest, finding himself in a clearing. High in a tree on the edge was a large, elaborate tree house.

A ladder led to a large wrap-around porch. Windows looked out over the clearing.

Sitting on the roof, was the girl. Her eyes were watching the clouds, and she hadn't noticed the fire demon yet. He hid himself behind a tree across from hers, suppressing his energy to non-existent, almost.

He couldn't see her clearly, but she was small, and very pale.

"Is that her?"

Hiei glanced at the idiot behind him. "Who else would it be?"

"So, we need a plan. We have to somehow get the spirit cuffs on her, but we don't know what kind of demon she is," Kurama lay out.

"If we knew, that would make things a whole lot easier." Yusuke sounded confused as well.

"She can't be that strong, or Koenma would have given us stronger items for capturing her." Kuwabara held up the net and ropes.

"You actually thought of something smart." Yusuke was surprised.

"Why thank- Hey." The boy glowered.

"Shut up you two. She'll hear us." Hiei looked back at the girl, his eyes narrowed.

"Yusuke and Kuwabara, go set up the net so it is stretched across the exit of the clearing. Make sure it's ready to give at the slightest jar. Be ready to tie the girl in to it. Hiei and I will chase her in," Kurama devised. "You have five minutes."

The two idiots ran off to complete their orders.

"Think they can actually do it?"

"No," Hiei said plainly.

Silence filled the area.

"Let's go." Kurama entered the clearing, the fire male following right after him.

The girl sat up, her eyes following us. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared. Then there was the slam of the door of her tree house. Hiei glanced at Kurama. He seemed just as bewildered as the half-koorime was. They quickly climbed the ladder that led up, and snuck along the side of the house, avoiding windows. They stood on either side of the door. On the count of three, two well-placed kicks knocked it open, but a flash of white knocked them back. They quickly got to their feet and looked down at the bottom of the tree, seeing the girl staring up at them. She disappeared again.

A moment later, there was a serious of yells and the sounds of ropes being strained. Then a piercing female scream broke through the noise.

"Guess they caught her."

"It would seem so," Hiei agreed.

The pair headed over to exit of the clearing, finding Yusuke and Kuwabara fighting to lock spirit cuffs on the girl's wrists. The girl was putting up a good fight, her thin arms almost able to slip out of Kuwabara's clumsy grip.

It was easy to make out her features now. Her eyes were light silver, almost pure white around the pupil. Straight white hair fell to her waist, tangled from neglect. Her skin was white as well, making her look like she was made from the purest marble, if she hadn't been screaming and thrashing.

Her eyes landed on the fire demon, and she froze. Yusuke took the moment to clamp the cuffs on, picking up the girl.

"Vous devez executer! Oc ils vont vous aussi! _(Translate: You must run! Or they'll get you too!)_" she screamed, struggling to get out of Yusuke's grip. Kurama looked from the confused half-koorime to her, finding the language familiar to one had learned in school.

"What is she saying?" Kuwabara asked.

Hiei shook his head, not knowing.

"Tu ne comprends pas! Ils vont vous tue aussi! _(Don't you understand! They'll kill you too!)_" she yelled again. Yusuke clamped his hand over her mouth so she wouldn't be screaming anymore. Her eyes shifted their colors, so they were silvery-white around the pupil, and orange on the edges.

"What are her thoughts saying, Hiei?" Kurama inquired.

He listened.

_Why isn't he leaving? Doesn't he understand? They are going to catch him too..._

The fire demon relayed this to my comrades. They seemed as confused as him.

"Koenma, we got her." Yusuke snapped shut the communicator just before the portal appeared. Yusuke had let go of the female's mouth in the process.

The girl's eyes changed again, back to the silvery-white. "Non! Ce n'est pas le miroir! Maman entra et ne revint jamais! _(No! Not the mirror! Mom went through and never came back!)_"

Yusuke clapped his hand over her mouth again. "Shut up, will you?" The girl stared at him in fear, then thrashed wildly. The hanyou managed to keep a grip on, but only just. Hiei rolled my eyes and followed through the portal after his teammates.

"Welcome back. That was done quickly," Koenma said with pride.

"Whatever. What do you want me to do with her?" Yusuke tightened his grip on the squirming female.

"Sit her down there." The prince gestured to the chair that had spirit shackles on the legs and arms.

"Will it be able to hold her?"

"Of course."

The girl was placed in the chair after the spirit cuffs were removed, and her wrists and ankles were firmly locked in. Yusuke finally let go of her mouth, but she said nothing. Her silvery-white eyes looked over everyone in fear.

"Qu'est-ce que tu veux de moi? _(What do you want with me?)_" Her voice was soft and scared.

"Can you understand me?" Koenma questioned. She nodded. "What is your name?"

"Mi-Miyuki."

"How old are you?"

"Deux-cent-trente-quatre."

Koenma looked slightly shocked. "You four are looking upon the oldest known, and last-living, full-blooded speed demon. She is 234 years old."

Yusuke let out a low whistle. "Now we know why you wanted her."

The girl's eyes turned to the silvery-white and orange again. "Qu'est-ce que tu veux de moi?" she repeated.

"We want to help. We have heard of attempts that are going to be made on your life," Koenma answered.

"What language is she speaking?" Kurama inquired.

"It's a similar form of human's French."

"That's why I can understand it. But what I don't get, is why she was yelling for Hiei to run." The fox looked confused. Hiei couldn't help but pay closer attention at the sound of his name.

"She did? When?"

"When we first grabbed her."

"She might have thought that Hiei was a speed demon as well. Females never grow taller than 142 centimeters. Males never grow above 152. Hiei is small enough that she might have thought of him as another speed demon," Koenma clarified.

"S'il vous plaît ne pas parler de moi comme si je n'étais pas lá. Je peux entendre tout ce que vous dites, _(Please do not talk about me as if I was not here. I can hear everything you say.)_" Miyuki said softly. Her gaze was trained on the ground in front of her. Her hands were clenched in to fists. Hiei decided to take a peek in to her mind. He couldn't understand what she was angry about.

_How could I have been so stupid? I should have known the male was not like me. There are none left..._

"Miyuki, look at me." The girl obeyed, her eyes meeting Koenma's. "These are good people who want to help you. If you stay here, we can keep you safe. Are you going to stay?" The orange faded from the girl's eyes, leaving only silvery-white. She nodded.

The locks on the chair released her wrists and ankles. She carefully rubbed the sore areas, wincing as her fingertips touched the raw areas of skin. She left the office, heading out in to the hallway. Her steps were silent and light as she walked with grace unknown to man.

"Boys, never leave her alone until she gets used to things here. If she wanders out of the house in Ningenkai, it could cause mass panic. She has never left that island, and knows nothing of modern technologies," Koenma warned. The four detectives agreed. "Go and make sure she finds her room, and the girls don't scare her." The four males filed out of the office, following the speed demon toward the large room where the portal home lay.

A scream echoed off the walls and there was a flash of white heading toward us. The female stopped in front of Kurama. "Vous avez dit que vous me comprenez, non? _(You said you understand me, right?)_"

"Oui. Qu'est-il arrivé? _(Yes. What happened?)_" Kurama questioned.

"Grandes créatures bleues avec de longs cheveux blonds sont á venir après moi! _(Big blue creatures with yellow hair are coming after me!)_" There was the sound of running up a head and the girl squeaked, dashing behind Kurama. "Ils viennent! _(They are coming!)_" Her silvery-white eyes stared down the hallway.

Kurama was laughing. "Ne vous inquiétez pas. Ils sont les ogres de travail justes pour Koenma. _(Don't worry. They are just ogres that work for Koenma.)_" He patted her head like you would a small child. She nodded but still didn't move from hiding behind Kurama.

They're expected to take care of a child? The thought infuriated Hiei She was twenty years younger than him, yet she acted like she was fresh from her mother's side.

A pair of ogres came sprinting down the hall, and Miyuki hid completely behind Kurama. "Koenma said give this to you." One of them threw an envelope in Hiei's hands before continuing past the boys. "Where did she go? I swear she went this way."

I shook my head slightly before opening the letter. It looked like it had been quickly scrawled out:

_**This is the results of some research that was done on speed demons many years ago. It should help with understanding Miyuki:**_

_** Name: Miyuki**_

_** Age: 234 years**_

_** Breed: Speed Demon**_

_**Note: Eye color changes with mood.**_

_** White – Fear  
**__**Red – Anger  
**__**Pink – Love  
**__**Yellow – Happy  
**__**Grey – Pain  
**__**Orange – Confused  
**__**Blue – Calm  
**__**Dark Blue – Guilty  
**__**Light Green – Sick  
**__**Dark Green – Jealousy  
**__**Brown – Violated  
**__**Black – Someone else is in control**_

_**Note: She is able to combine colors in her eyes.**_

"This will help a lot in understanding her," Kurama mused, having pulled the letter from Hiei's hands.

"Her eyes were white and orange when we captured her. It makes some sense now," Yusuke pointed out.

Hiei glanced at the speed demon. She was standing at the window, watching the rain hit the glass and slide down.

"Hey, if the ogres scared her, then how is she going to react to the girls?" Kuwabara pointed out.


	2. What is it?

Hiei glanced at the speed demon. She was standing at the window, watching the rain hit the glass and slide down.

"Hey, if the ogres scared her, then how is she going to react to the girls?" Kuwabara pointed out. Miyuki seemed to know we were talking about her, and looked over her shoulder at us.

"Let's just get her through the portal and to our house. Then we'll worry about it after," Yusuke suggested.

"She's afraid of the portal."

"What are you talking about Kurama? She's afraid of the portal?" Kuwabara was just as confused as the rest of us.

"Remember she screamed when she saw the portal earlier? She yelled, Non! Ce n'est pas le miroir! Maman entra et ne revint jamais!' In Japanese, she was saying 'No! Not the mirror! Mom went through and never came back!' The portal looks a bit like a mirror," the fox-demon clarified. His gaze landed on the girl who was staring out the window again. "Her mother must have been taken from her when she was young. And the father never sticks around."

"So we'll help her learn not to be afraid of portals. Hey, Miyuki!" Light blue eyes landed on the hanyou. "You're coming to our home. Come on!"

Her eyes changed to a light blue ringed in orange. "Oú allons-nous? _(Where are we going?)_"

"Maison," Kurama translated.

"Nous allons revenir sur l'île? _(We are going back to the island?)"_

"Non, votre nouveau domicile, Miyuki. _(No. Your new home, Miyuki.)_" The group headed off to where the portal was.

As soon as Miyuki lay eyes on the vortex, she disappeared. A slight tugging on the back of Hiei's shirt clued him in to where she had gone. She had decided that the fire demon made a nice shield.

He looked over his shoulder at her. "It's just a portal. It's not going to hurt you," he said soft enough for no one but her to hear him. White eyes looked up at him. Crimson eyes watched as they slowly turned back to light blue. The others had already gone a head as Miyuki slowly moved toward the vortex. She gently touched the surface before walking through. Hiei quickly followed after the female. He appeared to find her examining a light. He couldn't help but smirk as she found the switch and managed to turn it on. She leapt back in surprise, right in to him.

Her eyes turned white and she quickly hopped away. " Je suis désolé. Pardonnez-moi. _(I'm sorry. Forgive me.)_"

He shook his head before walking out of the foyer to the living room.

The house was large. On the ground floor, there was a kitchen, living room, game room, home theater, music room, and library. The second floor held the guy's bedrooms. Third floor was home to the girls. In the finished basement, was a state-of-the-art gym and training area. Koenma had basically supplied the boys with everything to keep them off his back between missions.

The half-koorime could hear Miyuki following him as they made their way in to the living room. He could hear the idiots in the game room, and the fox was probably in the kitchen. Miyuki was wandering down the hall, carefully heading toward the noises. _I should follow her, make sure she doesn't hurt herself, _he thought

She was headed to the game room. He watched as she peered through the doorway, her eyes light blue ringed in orange. Hiei stood beside her, watching her take in everything.

"Come on in, Miyuki. We'll show you what everything is."

I looked at the boy who looked like he hadn't washed his hair in a month. He was standing in front a colorful box that was glowing and making noises. I slowly and carefully entered the dark room. There was a glass light holder over a table that was covered in green cloth. I stood at Greasy-Hair's side, looking in confusion at the glass box inside the colorful box. The glass box seemed to hold an assortment of oddly drawn people inside.

" Qu'est-ce que c'est? _(What is it?)_" I asked, poking the glass.

"Hey! Don't touch the screen!" the scary man snapped.

I leapt backwards away from them. "Désolé. _(Sorry.)_"

"Kuwabara, you idiot, you scared her. Come on, Mi, I'll show you how." Greasy-Hair held out his hand to me.

I slowly and cautiously stepped forward. I cast a glance at the man behind him. His crimson eyes watched me closely. _I feel he wouldn't let anything bad happen to me..._ I was placed in front of the glowing box, Greasy-Hair behind me.

"This is a video game. It's a way to have fun." His arms went around me, touching some clicky-things and small handles. "You use the buttons and joy-sticks to move your character. You can make it jump and fight." He demonstrated, and I watched as the little man hopped around, and kick the other man.

I giggled softly.

"Hey! I got a laugh out of you. That's an improvement." I watched as Greasy-Hair's character beat up Scary-Man's.

" Quel est votre nom? _(What is your name?)_" I asked.

"Heh?"

"She's asking your name, idiot." Crimson-Eyes walked slowly closer.

I glanced at him, wondering how he knew, seeing as he didn't speak my language.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Urameshi Yusuke. The big lug is Kuwabara Kazuma. The short guy is Jaganshi Hiei."

"Mon nom est Miyuki, _(My name is Miyuki,)_" I said with a slight smile. "Enchanté de vous rencontrer. _(Pleased to meet you.)_"

"You lost me again," Kazuma asked.

"She's saying 'pleased to meet you'. By the way, Mon nom est Kurama."

I looked up at the door, seeing the man who helped me earlier.

"Salut, _(Hello,)_" I greeted.

"Que voulez-vous pour le dîner? Et les demandes? _(What would you like for dinner? Any requests?)_" he asked.

"Pas de viande, s'il vous plaît. Je suis végétarien, _(No meat, please. I'm a vegetarian,)_" I told him, grimacing.

He gave me a small smile and left the room.

I left Yusuke, Kazuma, and Hiei in the room with the colorful boxes to follow Kurama. He walked through a swinging door, and I managed to slip through before it shut. I looked around in wonder at all the strange items.

"Do you want to learn?"

"Excusez-moi?"

"Do you want to learn how to speak Japanese? We'd be willing to teach you." Kurama's gaze met mine.

I nodded._ Communicating is hard when they don't understand me..._

_{Some of us can. It's just a question of how.}_

My eyes widened and glanced around.

"Is something wrong?" Kurama inquired.

I shook my head. "Qu'est-ce que c'est? _(What is it?)_" I asked, poking a silver box.

"It's a toaster. You place bread in the slots, push down the black lever, and it toasts the bre-" I looked at him. "The girls are home. Stay here." I watched as he rushed out of the kitchen.

I knew my eyes were orange as I sat down at the table. My eyes traveled and examined everything. There were a lot of boxes, all different sizes. Some had handles, and some had knobs. Some even had doors!

"She doesn't understand the modern world."

I stood up at the sound. _Kurama? Talking about me..._

I could hear a girl's voice respond, but couldn't make out the words. A moment later the door opened, revealing a girl with shoulder-length brown hair, and deep brown eyes. She gave me a soft smile. "So you're Miyuki. Kurama tells me you don't speak Japanese."

"Oui. C'est exact, _(Yes. That is correct,)_" I said softly.

"Mon nom est Kayko." Another soft smile and she held out her hand.

" Enchanté de vous rencontrer. _(Pleased to meet you.)_" I watched her hand suspiciously.

"Oh gomen nasai. I forgot all ready. It's called a hand-shake. Like this." Her hand gripped mine and gently moved it up and down. I nodded and helped in the movement. "Right."

"Kayko, where did you go?" The door opened again, revealing three more girls.

One had long brown hair to her waist, and dark eyes; a cigarette hanging from her mouth. The second had baby blue hair tied up in to a ponytail, and pink eyes. The last was a few centimeters taller than me. She had aquamarine hair and crimson eyes.

I ducked behind Kurama, hiding myself from the view of the girls.

"What was that?" I dashed out of the kitchen, not visible to anyone's eyes. I ran top speed down the hall, trying to find where Yusuke and Kazuma were. I found the door and dashed in. I leaned against the wall, my eyes quickly scanning the room.

"What's up? What scared you?" Yusuke asked.

I jumped slightly. "De nouvelles personnes, les femmes. _(New people, females)_"

"She ran in to the girls." I glanced at the speaker, Hiei.

_How does he know? He doesn't know my language..._

_{I don't need to speak your language to understand what you are saying.}_

"Sors de ma tête! Arrêtez l'alarme! _(Get out of my head! Stop it!_" I yelled, clutching the sides of my head.

"Mi, what's going on?" Kazuma sounded concerned. I shook my head.

"La voix ne va pas loin. Je ne sais pas qui il est, _(The voice doesn't go away. I don't know who he is,)_" I said softly. I slid down in to a sitting position, leaning against the wall.

"Go get Kurama," Yusuke ordered. Kazuma stood up and left the room. "Mi, you have to tell me what's going on, or I can't help you."

"Je vous ai dit! Vous ne comprenez pas ce que je dis! _(I told you! You don't understand what I'm saying!)_" I ground out.

"Hiei, can you break in to her mind?"

"Hn."

_What does he mean, 'break in to my mind'?_

_{To read your thoughts.}_

I screamed again. " Faire l'arrêt de la voix! Sors de ma tête! _(Make the voice stop! Get it out of my head!)_"

"What happened?"

I didn't have to look up to know it was Kurama. " Il ne s'arrêtera pas. Il continue à me parler. Je ne sais pas qui il est, _(He will not stop. He continues to talk to me. I do not know who he is_,)" I murmured, keeping my eyes tightly shut. I felt his hand gently land on my shoulder.

"Hiei, were you in her head?"

I opened my eyes at the statement.

"Hn." He left the room.

Kurama sighed in relief. "He's a telepath, Miyuki. That means he can read your thoughts, and speak to you through your mind. Thoughts are usually one language that everyone can understand," he explained.

I nodded slowly, understanding what he said. "Je suis désolé de vous a fait vous inquiétez pas. _(I'm sorry I made you worry.)_"

"Don't worry about it." He gave me a soft smile.

"What's all the racket about?"

"Better prepare her for the girls."


	3. Shopping

"What's all the racket about?"

"Better prepare her for the girls," Yusuke said, rolling his eyes.

"What about us?" Pink-Eyes asked, placing her hands on her hips. "And what are you hiding? Come on, you can show us."

"Please Kurama-san. May we see?" Small-Girl asked.

The boys exchanged glances, glanced at me, then moved aside. "Uh, girls? Meet Miyuki," Yusuke said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Eh, bonjour?_ (Eh, hello?)_"I greeted carefully.

Pink-Eyes made a high-pitched noise and I was engulfed in a hug, my feet a foot or two off the ground. "You are so cute! What kind of demon is she?"

"Speed."

I was dropped with a thump and I fell against the wall, confused about what had happened. "Are you serious? This is the one?"

"Yep."

"Well, Miyuki, I'm Botan, the ferry girl for the Rive Styx. Pleased to meet 'cha!" She gave me a wide grin.

"Yukimura Kayko," said the girl I met earlier.

"Yukina," Small-Girl said with a small bow.

"Kuwabara Shizune, I'm the big lug's older sister," Long-Hair said, giving a small wave.

"Enchanté de vous rencontrer, _(Pleased to meet you,)_" I greeted.

"Eh, forgot to tell you. She doesn't speak Japanese. She speaks French, sort of," Yusuke explained. "She just said, 'please to meet you'."

"Wow, Urameshi. She could teach you while Kurama teaches her," Kazuma laughed.

"Shut up."

"Where is she staying? Atsuko was evicted from her apartment again, so she took the last bedroom on the third floor," Kayko pointed out.

The guys froze. "Geeze, I forgot about Mom." Yusuke slapped himself in the forehead.

"So what are we going to do with her?" Kazuma asked.

"We'll have to set her up in the bedroom on our floor," Kurama answered, sighing softly.

I tilted my head slightly in confusion. _What's the big deal?_

_{The two idiots are perverts, and you'd probably be more comfortable with the girls than with us.}_

I gave the smallest nod. Now that I knew who was in my head, I wasn't scared.

"Come on, Mi. I'll show you to your room." Yusuke offered his hand to help me up. I took it, allowing him to pull me from where I was curled in to a ball on the floor.

"Did you find her like that?" Botan asked, her eyes wide.

"Like what?" Kazuma sounded confused.

"Dressed like that!"

I looked down at myself. I was in a ragged shirt with no sleeves and barely hit my waist. My shorts stopped before mid-thigh and the waistband was on the verge of ripping. My feet were bare.

"Before she's goes anywhere, she needs some new clothing. She could borrow something of Yukina's for a little while, right?"

"Hai. Come on, Miyuki-chan. Let's find something you can wear." The girl held out her hand to me. I glanced at Kurama, who gave a small nod, before taking her hand. She led me out of the room with colorful boxes and out in to the long room. There were stairs at the end, and I was led up them. "What type of demon are you?" she asked casually.

I tried to remember what they had called me. In my language it's 'démon de la vitesse'. "Démon de la vitesse, _(Speed demon,)_" I told her. She looked at me confused. I tapped my nose with my finger as I pondered, a habit I have. "Speed?" I said, unsure.

"Speed demon?"

I nodded.

Her eyes widened. "No wonder Koenma-san sent the boys to find you." We climbed two sets of stairs, and entered the first room on the right.

The walls were colored a pale blue. Furniture and accents were different shades of blue and white. Covering the floor was a fluffy... fur? It didn't feel like fur. But it was white. Yukina went to another door, and opened it. Inside was a variety of clothes, all in different colors and fabrics. She pulled out something long and white that had black strings attached. After that, came a blue... I don't know, but it was blue and made of a fabric I have never seen before.

"This should fit you. It's small on me, so it should work. Do you need help?" She must have noticed me looking confused at the fabric, because she giggled. "Let me help you. We'll use what you're wearing now as underclothes." She helped me slip my arms and head through a few holes, and then slid the blue clothing on over it.

I looked at myself in her mirror, blue and yellow eyes looking back at me.

"The white cloth is a 'dress'. The blue cloth, is a 'jacket'," she explained as she came from the closet again. She was carrying an odd pair of white... sandals? She handed them to me. "These go on your feet, they're called 'ballet flats'. A fancy name for shoes with no heels and no ties or straps."

I slipped them on my feet, the smooth and simple white fabric feeling pleasant against my fingertips. I looked in the mirror again. _Is that really me?_ A petite girl with tangled hair the color of snow that fell down to her waist; skin that held no pigment, but never burned; eyes that held three colors: blue, orange, and yellow.

Yukina came up behind me, and I felt a slight tugging on my hair. A quick glance revealed that she was using a comb to remove tangles. "Can I ask you something, Miyuki-chan?"

"Oui. _(Yes.)_"

"You look different from others of your kind. I mean, I've never seen another speed demon with my own eyes; but I know they only come from one island. From pictures I've seen, they usually have brown or green hair, and tanned skin. You have neither, why is that?"

I escaped in to my thoughts. I knew the answer, but I didn't have the words to tell her. "Je vais vous dire quand je peux parler en japonais,"I said softly.

"Excuse me?"

"She's saying 'I will tell you when I can say it in Japanese,' or something close to that."

My eyes glanced to the side, landing on Kayko. "Botan has the portal waiting. Are you two all set to go?"

"Hai."

"You look cute, Miyuki. That looks good on you," Kayko pointed out.

"Merci." I gave a small smile.

"Um, Kayko-chan? Will Miyuki-chan be okay at the mall?"

"As long as we keep her close, and make sure she doesn't freak out, I think we'll be okay." She sounded quite sure of herself.

"Let's just get inside." Botan pulled me toward a pair of glass doors.

I guess I scared her a little. It's not my fault that these metal things called 'cars' almost hit me.

We passed through the doors, in to a very large building, full of people... humans. I had never seen a human before the boys had found me today. And I must tell you, their odor is quite odd.

I looked at everything, asking questions of Kayko quite often. She didn't seem to mind, but seemed pleased that I wanted to learn.

I was pulled in to one shop, full of clothing of all varieties.

"This is a great place to start. They have everything," Botan said cheerily.

So the girls took me shopping, going through several 'stores', as Kayko says. A couple of stores, I didn't like. They made me feel like I was out of place.

I saw this one store, called 'Hot Topic'. I tugged Kayko's sleeve, pointing toward the store.

She gave me an odd look. "Are you sure? That's a pretty dark store."

I nodded.

"Okay." She didn't sound so sure. I went in happily.

"Odd, this is Hiei-san's favorite store as well," Yukina pointed out.

I waved it off and started picking out things I liked. I bought a lot of what Kayko called 'corsets', and 'shirts', 'pants' and 'skirts'. They even had 'shoes'! So I bought a few of those too. They even had me get a 'dress'.

Then I noticed another wall. It was covered in what the girls called 'jewelry'. I went for a closer look, and picked out what I liked. There were 'bracelet's, 'necklace's, 'belts', and 'earring's.

"Um, Miyuki-chan? You don't have your ears pierced," Yukina pointed out.

I shook my head and tucked my hair behind my ear. I actually have my ears pierced three times for ceremonial purposes. I'm thinking of getting more, but we'll see.

"Good thing Koenma's rich," Botan hissed to Kayko.

I ignored them and handed the 'clerk' the 'card'. He gave me a smile and a wink as he handed me my 'receipt'. I returned the smile before leaving the store with Kayko, Botan, and Yukina; all four of us laden down with bags. So we headed back to the house via portal.

"Oh, Miyuki! Koenma had your room finished. Come on." I followed Botan up the stairs, to the second floor. At the end of the hallway, was a dark grey door, across from a blue one. Botan opened the dark grey door, and allowed me through first.

The walls and ceiling were painted to resemble the night sky, white and pale yellow dots on a midnight blue base. The stars actually formed the constellations that I see in the night sky. The 'rug' looked and felt like grass. The furniture was painted the same midnight blue as the walls with white accents. The bedclothes were black with a black 'quilt' over it.

I slowly wandered in, placing my bags on the floor. There was a pair of small doors in the back wall beside the bed, rain hitting the glass. I carefully pushed down the handle of the door, opening it. It lead to a small landing that was fenced in and overlooked a garden.

"Do you like it?"

I looked back a Botan. "Oui. Je l'aime. _(Yes. I love it.)_"

She gave me a smile and a nod before leaving.

I was still standing out in the rain when Kayko walked in.

"Ready to learn?"


	4. First Day of School

Much time has passed, almost three months, most of the summer season.

The speed demon has learned much in this time. She has taken refuge in the library, often found curled up with a book and headphones in her ears.

No one could figure out what she was listening too. But she could sometimes be found talking to Yusuke's mate and Fox. Other than that, she didn't talk to anyone.

Hiei actually found himself wanting to go sit in the library just to see if she would say anything about it, just to get a few words out of her.

"Ohayo," rang a female voice. Hiei looked up to see who spoke, surprised by who it was.

"Miyuki? Since when can you speak Japanese fluently?" Yusuke looked shocked.

The speed demoness blinked tiredly, seeing as she had just woken up. "What do you think I've been doing for the past three months?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. You've had those headphones in your ears for almost three months."

"That's how I learned. Kayko and Kurama made me CD's so I could learn," she explained, pouring herself a glass of orange juice and swallowing a few vitamins.

Because she's a vegetarian, Kurama makes her take vitamins to make sure she gets enough nutrition.

"Everyone, Koenma wants to see you." Botan poked her head in to the kitchen. "You too, Miyuki."

Orange eyes looked up at the taller Ferry Girl.

Yusuke stood up. "Come on everyone."

Miyuki and I came along last, trailing behind the others.

"So that's what you've been doing for the past three months." She looked up at fire-demon. "Learning to speak Japanese, saves me the trouble of breaking in to your mind so they can understand." Her eyes narrowed at him as he picked up speed a bit, leaving her behind.

"Yow!"

Everyone turned around to find Miyuki standing on top of Hiei's head, her blue eyes completely changed to red.

" Mal pour vous? Oui, j'ai mis dans tout cela juste pour m'assurer que je ne vous ai pas causer plus mal. Vous êtes les bienvenus! _(Trouble for you? Yes, I put in all of this just to make sure I didn't cause you any more trouble. You're welcome!)_" she snapped, her tone obviously sarcastic.

It seems when she gets mad, she reverts back to her native language. Hiei tried to throw the female off, but she simply hopped off, managing to dig her foot in to the top of his head. There was laughing ahead of the pair, enticing Hiei to send a glare at the fools, smoothing his hair back in to place. His glare intensified by many times as it landed on the back of the speed demon. The half-koorime knew she could feel it as she turned around to look at him. What surprised him was the colors of her eyes. The main color was light blue, but it was edged in two colors, showing that she was calm only on the outside. The edged colors were red and dark blue, anger and guilt.

Guilt? Why guilt?

Hiei didn't have time to dwell on this as they entered the portal for Koenma's office.

"Welcome everyone."

"What's this about binky-breath?" Yusuke asked, dropping in to a chair.

"I hope everyone is ready for school. You start Monday. That is all." Koenma returned to some of his paperwork.

"What the hell? Monday? That's two days from now!" Kuwabara yelled, looking rather cross.

"Of course. Oh, Miyuki. You'll be joining Hiei and Kurama in their senior year at Sawaki High School, uniforms will be delivered to you. You'll always have one of them in your class, so you don't have to worry about being alone." The demoness gave a sharp nod, keeping her gaze on the floor. "Kayko, I'm sure, will take you school supply shopping. Now, everyone except Miyuki out."

The boys filed out of the office, but Hiei couldn't help but cast a quick glance at the demoness.

"What did you want to speak to me about sir?" I turned my eyes to the prince.

"How are your lessons going?"

I smiled, "I have finished all of my lessons. There is nothing more Kayko and Kurama can teach me."

"Math?"

"Up to Calculus."

"History?"

"Geography, world, and Japanese."

"Science?"

"Biology, physiology, anatomy, and earth."

"Social Studies?"

"Phsycology and sociology. Anything else, sir?"

"How are you doing with the group?"

"Fine sir, no problems at all."

"I've placed you in a cooking class, and it's the only class you won't have with Hiei or Kurama."

"That's fine, sir."

"You're dismissed then."

"Kayko, what exactly are we looking for?"

"School supplies. Pencils, pens, notebooks... Do you have your list?"

"Hai."

"Good." Kayko led me farther in the mall, toward a store I haven't been in. I was dragged in before I had a chance to read what it was called.

The store was aisle upon aisle of office supplies.

Kayko had started piling items in a basket, chatting idly about something. "What was with you when you came back from Koenma's?"

"Hm?" That caught my attention.

"You're eyes weren't the normal shade of blue they usually are. They were a really dark blue, and according to the guys that mean's you're feeling guilty. What happened?"

I turned my gaze to the floor. "Hiei had said something, and I hurt him."

"What did he say?"

"That my learning to speak Japanese would save him trouble."

Kayko sighed deeply. "He deserved it. No need to feel guilty. Now come on, we're finished here, so we can head home." She gave me a bright smile as we headed to go pay for our supplies.

I slowly and silently snuck down the stairs. Good, no one is up yet... As quickly as I could, being many times faster than a human eye could see, I dashed in to the kitchen, peeking out the door to make sure no one was coming.

"Good morning, Miyuki."

I squeaked, jumping a foot in the air. I turned around, facing a chuckling Kurama. "You scared me." I placed a hand on my chest, trying to calm my now raging heartbeat.

"I apologize. What were you sneaking around for?"

I blushed darkly, my fingers toying with the edge of my skirt. "The uniform, I don't believe it suits me. But I must say, it's odd to see you in black and red, Kurama," I said, making reference to his uniform as well.

He was dressed in a dark red jacket, black pants and shoes. A crisp, white button and black tie contrasted nicely with the dark colors. I looked down at my own uniform. The top half was similar, though more fitted. I couldn't help but pull at the short black skirt that didn't even hit my knees. Black, knee socks covered the rest of my legs.

"I don't really see what the problem is, it looks just fine." Kurama turned back to the sizzling pancakes.

I could feel my mouth watering from the smell.

The opening of the door brought me back to the real world. It was Hiei.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Hiei," I greeted, smiling softly.

"Hn." He gave me a slight glance out of the corner of his eye, but nothing more. He simply poured himself a cup of coffee.

I stared at the drink curiously. I had never had any, but I had watched Kurama prepare it many times.

Hiei gave me an odd look out of the corner of his eye. "What do you want, onna?"

"What's coffee like?"

He smirked and handed me the mug. I looked down at the black liquid. "You're not going to like it," he warned.

I shrugged in took a sip. My eyes widened as my tongue burned. I handed him back the mug, trying to get the bitter taste out of my mouth.

"I told you," he said matter-of-factly. I gave him a dry look before sitting down to eat.

"This way, Miyuki."

I tore my gaze away from the large building and groups of ningens to look back at Kurama and Hiei.

"Hey, look at her. What's with the white hair?"

"Her skin's completely white as well."

"Is she a ghost?"

"That'd be a good nickname for her, 'Konpaku', what do you think?"

I glanced at the group of boys that were talking. They seemed to find it funny as they laughed at my expense.

"Don't listen to them. They pick on everyone." Kurama's hand landed on my shoulder, leading me toward the front doors. Hiei was on my other side, keeping an eye out.

Koenma had called the two of them in to his office this morning, but I'm not sure why. Now, they were never more than a few feet away from me. I felt more comfortable, but I couldn't help but feel like something was up.

I was lead in to a small room, after depositing my shoes in the appropriate bin. Kurama spoke with a woman, and traded a few papers, before moving back toward me.

"Here's your schedule. You have Calculus with me; Advanced Japanese History, then Physcology with Hiei; Gym with both of us; finally, you have your cooking classes, but you have neither of us there. We will walk you from class to class. Do you remember the rules that Koenma told you?" Kurama asked.

"Call you Shuichi; don't call the ningens such; keep my emotions in check; and no using youkai speed," I rattled off, having memorized the list.

"Good girl. Let's head to class." We left the first room, which the sign said it was called the front office.

"Minamino-kun!"

"Jaganshi-kun!"

I noticed both of the boy's flinched ever-so-slightly before turning around to face the speakers. Two girls, one blonde, the other pink-haired, wore their uniforms even shorter than they were supposed to be. You could almost see their underwear!

_{The blonde is Kankyou Arashi, president of Fox's fanclub. Pinky is Yariman Kiyoko, president of my fanclub. They are the most annoying ningens you'll ever meet.}_

I gave Hiei a glance to say I understood.

"Ohayo gozaimasu," they chorused.

"I hope your summer went well, Minamino-kun," Arashi giggled.

"Same to you, Jaganshi-kun." Kiyoko giggled along with the other girl.

They stank of something. It was flowing off of them in waves, tickling my senses. I gently rubbed my nose, trying to make it stop, not really noticing that the two girls were still talking. My eyes started to water, caused by an odd pressure in my nose. I sneezed. It wasn't loud or anything, but it came out like a squeak.

"Oh, bless you! Who're you?" I shook my head slightly, sniffing before answering the blonde.

"Kousetsu Miyuki," I answered, "Gomen, I think I'm allergic to your perfume. Shitsurei shimasu, It was nice to meet you." I turned away to go find my classroom.

"Hang on, Miyuki. Excuse us girls," Kurama said politely. I felt his hand land on my shoulder. Hiei gently bumped in my shoulder, making sure that I knew he was there.

I heard a whine escape the two girls behind us, and then hushed whispers.

_{They don't like you very much.}_

I was surprised. _Why? I have only just met them, and barely said three sentences to them._

_{You are on a first name basis with us; it tells them that you are close to us, much closer to us then them.}_

I gave him a slight nod.

"I'll come get you for your next class." Then Hiei was gone, having disappeared down another hallway.

"We should hurry, or we'll be late."

I fell instantly in to step with Kurama's quicker pace, and we found our class in no time, taking seats in the back of the room.

"I have to do something quickly before my next class. Wait right here for Hiei," Kurama instructed. I nodded. "Good girl." He gave me a smile and disappeared down the hallway, becoming one in a mass of ningens.

I moved to lean against the wall, watching silently for Hiei. "Hey, new-girl!"

I looked over at the speaker. It was Arashi and Kiyoko, along with a few other girls.

"Who do you think you are?" one of the unknown girls asked.

"Kousetsu Miyuki," I answered. I was confused. I thought I all ready told them my name, didn't I?

"I mean, how can you think you're good enough to be close to Minamino-kun and Jaganshi-kun?" another girl asked.

I was surprised. "I've met them over the summer. They've been very kind to me." I gave them a shy smile.

Arashi scoffed. "Well, we've known them for years. You're at the bottom of the heiarchy here; out of their league."

I tapped my nose, thinking. "Hiei and Shuichi have a league?" I asked.

"Are you stupid or something?"

I smiled again. "I apologize. I've only just learned Japanese, I'm not very good."

"Good for you. We're here to warn you. Stay away from Minamino-kun and Jaganshi-kun. They're ours," Kiyoko snapped, glaring at me.

I was confused again. "They are owned by you? I believed the days of slavery were over, was I misinformed?" I questioned.

"Why you smart-assed little girl... Stay. Away. From. Them. Do I make myself clear?" Her voice dripped with venom.

I smiled. "Very. But I must say I'm not inclined to follow your orders."

Her face turned an odd mixture of purple and red.

"Miyuki."

I looked over my shoulder at the speaker. "Hello, Hiei."

"Come on, onna. We're going to be late for class." He guestured down the hall. I cast a look at the group of girls, but found that they were gone. "Were those girls bothering you?"

"No, of course not. They were just telling me some information about the school." I gave him a small smile.

"Liar. They were telling you to stay away from the fox and me. I can read your mind, remember?"

I lowered my eyes to the floor. "Don't worry about it though, I'll be fine. They can't hurt me." I gave him another smile.

He rolled his eyes before quickening his step.

"One of us will meet you here after your class. Don't worry, okay?" I nodded. "Good girl." Kurama left me, heading to his last class.

I turned and headed in to the home economics room. There were only a few other people in here; two girls and four boys. "Are you the new girl?"

I turned around to face the speaker, a boy. "Hai, Kousetsu Miyuki."

"I'm Setsuna. Hey, both of our names mean 'snow'." He gave me a bright smile, his reddish-brown eyes glittering slightly. His dark hair had a green-tint to it as it fell in to his eyes.

I returned his smile. "That is strange, but not in a bad way. I'm the new here, so I'm not completely sure where to go," I told him, turning my gaze to the ground.

"Oh! I was supposed to show you around. You're an exchange student, correct?"

"Hai."

"Where are you from? Your Japanese is very good."

"I'm from Paris, France; and I only learned Japanese over the summer."

"Wow, only three months? Amazing. Ok, your table is over in the corner, and the recipes are on top of it for you."

"Arigato." I gave him a slight wave as I headed over to the large table.

"Thank you for your help, Setsuna-san. I'm glad I'm not alone in this class."

I gave the boy a soft smile. "Don't worry about it. You know, when I first saw you, I thought you were albino, but your eyes are blue."

"I'm a genetic screw-up," I lied with a smile. I knew the real reason I looked like this, and only my people knew this, other than me.

He laughed heartily, his whole body involved in the action. His head went back, his shoulders heaving. "I had heard you were a real bitch, but you're the sweetest thing I've ever seen," he commented, giving me a wide smile.

I blushed. "Really, I'm no different than anyone else."

"Onna, let's go."

I turned and faced Hiei. "Sayonara, Setsuna-san. Pleasure meeting you."

"Cya tomorrow." He gave me a wave before turning in the opposite direction.

"Who's he?"

"Setsuna-san. He helped me out in band," I explained.

Hiei looked back over his shoulder at the boy. "I don't like him."

I smiled. "You don't like a lot of people, Hiei."

**Eye Color Chart**

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated

Black – Someone else is in control


	5. Moon Dance

"Hey Miyuki!"

I turned from my locker at the sound of the call. "Yusuke, what are you doing here? I thought your school got out a half hour after ours?"

He waved off the question. "You remember that Koenma's running your testing today, right?"

I nodded. The prince had wanted to find out what my limits were. _He said it would make it easier to train me. This will cause me to pass out. But I have enough time to recover, and I can finish it,_ I thought as I gathered the last of my books, and shut my locker. "Lead the way," I told the hanyou.

"Hiei, Shuichi! Let's go!" The named demons appeared at our side a moment after the Mazoku had called.

The portal was waiting for us, but it didn't drop us off at our home. It was a lab, full of a lot of machinery. I stepped closer to Hiei instinctively. I didn't like here.

"Ah! You must be her. Come here," a doctor called, standing up from his desk in the corner as he pulled his lab coat straight. "I have some clothing for you to change in to. Then we can begin. You boys can head up in to the room up there." The doctor pointed to a large glass window set high in the east wall. Inside, I could see Koenma, Botan, Yukina, Atsuko, Kayko, and Shiziru inside. Yukina gave me an encouraging smile and a small wave, which I returned.

I changed in a small stall, pulling on a pair of shorts and a cropped tank top. I could truthfully say that I didn't like this outfit. Showed too much skin for my taste.

"Very good, come along and we'll start the testing."

We went through a few procedures. He listened to my breathing and heart rate; he discovered that my lungs are twice the size of a normal demon my size, and my heart rate was slower. The average rate of a human in shape is about sixty beats per minutes. My resting rate was a little under forty.

Then he had me lift weights, to see how much weight I could handle; it happened to be about one hundred kilos, very weak for a demon my size. Hiei can lift more than four times that.

He then set me on a treadmill, several wires attached to my skin to measure my heart rate, oxygen saturation, and others. Tubes and a mask covered my face to measure how much carbon dioxide I was giving off, how much oxygen I was taking in, and what my breathing rate was.

"Run as fast as you can, for as long as you can," he instructed. I gave a small smile. This man didn't know how great my stamina and endurance was. So, I started running at a human's jogging pace, and gradually increased my pace.

"How long has she been at this?" the detective asked.

"Twenty-two hours and no change in her speed," Koenma answered with a yawn.

According to the screens that were in the booth with the boys, Miyuki had been running too fast for machines to keep up with.

"Kind of reminds me of that American superhero. Flash? We just need to stick her in a red and yellow jumpsuit!" Yusuke laughed at his own joke.

"She's slowing down," Kuwabara pointed out.

Hiei tore his eyes from the barely visible speed demon, looking at the screen. She was slowing down enough that the computer could read the numbers. She was down to six hundred kilometers an hour. With in the next five minutes, she was down to about the average human running speed. Then her feet just stopped and she completely collapsed. The fire demon stalled slightly as he felt the need to rush in there, make sure she was okay.

The doctor leaned over the demoness, checking pulse and breathing as he removed the wires and tubes. "She passed out, but she'll be fine after some rest," the doctor's voice rang through the speakers.

"Very good. Hiei, could you go collect her, and bring her to her room to rest?" Koenma looked over at the male. Hiei stood, heading down in to the lab.

The doctor was waiting for him, Miyuki limp in his arms. "Take good care of her," he said as the small girl was passed from doctor to demon. Hiei nodded, carefully holding the girl.

Her cheeks were flushed and she was still panting softly in her sleep. She fell limp against the warm chest, her head on his shoulder. Her body was warm, though cooler than his, and her skin soft. He could feel something deep within him that craved more of it. His arms pulled her tightly to him, cradling the female as if afraid she would fall. The fire demon made his way to where the portal to home was waiting. Hiei was dropped off in the small, empty room that was saved for portals. It was just off the living room.

Hiei didn't know that Kayko had friends over, friends that just happened to be from his school.

"Konichiwa, Jaganshi-kun," Kiyoko greeted, giving the male a wide smile.

"Hn."

"Oh my! What happened to Kousetsu-chan?"

"She wore herself out."

"How so? And why is she dressed like that?"

"None of your business." He shifted the demoness slightly, so she was closer to him, and so he could grip her more easily. Hiei left the two ningen onnas to their fun and headed up to Miyuki's bedroom. After kicking the door open, he walked in to dark room. The fire demon had never been in here before, and now realized why she spent so much time here. Her stereo was playing one of her favorite songs; "This is Home" by I Am Ghost.

He set down the girl on her bed, watching as snow-colored hair spread across and the dark color of her pillowcase. Hiei sat down beside her; glad he had remembered closed her door behind him. The male found himself reaching closer to the girl, but did nothing to stop the movement. Fingertips gently brushed the flesh of her cheek, and he relished in the softness of the skin. He found his whole palm had pressed to her cheek, the thumb gently caressing soft skin. She made gave no sign that she was aware of what the male was doing, and, secretly, he was glad.

Hiei had often taken to sitting on her balcony as she slept, listening to her breathing and sleep-ridden murmurs; just to make sure she was still there. Having a bedroom at the other end of the hall and on the other side didn't allow him to just sit against the adjoining wall and listen, but this worked too.

He jumped slightly when he felt a slight pressure on his hand. Crimson eyes widened, thinking she was waking up. A quick glance revealed that she was merely sleeping. Hiei let a slight smirk cross his face before standing up and leaving the sleeping demoness, only to return later that night to listen.

"Has she woken up yet?" Kurama wondered.

Hiei shook my head. It's the second day after her testing, and Miyuki was still asleep. He leaned back against the wall, staring out at the rain that pelted the window. It was light, but enough to soak you if you stood out there for more than a half hour.

"What time is it?" asked a tired voice. Tired blue eyes looked out from beneath tangled white hair.

"Welcome back to the waking world. How are you feeling?" Kurama asked, standing up.

"Hungry," the demoness answered.

The fox let out a slight chuckle, but stood and headed in to the kitchen.

The two idiots decided then would be a good time to start fighting, and it gave the fire demon a reason to follow them in to the kitchen. Miyuki was just sinking her teeth in to an apple, and Fox was at the stove preparing something. Hiei watched from his seat at the table as Miyuki wandered over to the wall next to the door, where a calendar hung.

"What day is it?"

"September 16, why?"

"Just wondering."

Red glanced over the girl. The color of her eyes surprised me. Around the pupil was the normal light blue, but it was ringed in silvery-white.

_Why on earth is she scared? What is today to her?_ I glanced at the calendar. _The only thing it says is that today is a full moon. Is it because of the full moon?_ I decided to break in to her thoughts.

_{If I get caught, they'll question. Then I'll have to tell them everything, and I'm not ready to.}_

_What does she mean? What is today all about?_

I was up in my room, putting the finishing touches on a project I had been working on. _It's not as good as what Mama made, but I think she would be proud._ I shed the clothing I was wearing now, and pulled on what I had finished making.

The light blue fabric was soft against my skin. The sleeves of the wrap top ended in ruffles just after my elbows while the cloth tied just under my bust, the knot tight to keep it from unwrapping. The skirt was in a wrap fashion as well, the angled skirt going from my upper thigh on my left leg, down to my right ankle in layered ruffles. The outfit was easy to move, which is what I needed for what I was about to do.

Now, all I have to do is get to the portal room. Great...

I slowly opened the door, making sure no one was in the hallway. Luck was with me so far, there was no one. I dashed to the top of the stairs, listening for any footsteps. None. I ran top speed down the stairs, and froze on the bottom. _Why does everyone have to be in the living room? Why does the portal have be off the living room?_

I could see all the girls and boys chatting and laughing about something, except for Hiei. He was in his usual spot by the window, staring out at the night.

I could feel my hands beginning to shake slightly. _I've put this off too long. I should have gone last month._

I heard a door open. _I'm in luck!_ Koenma was coming through the door to the portal room. _Now, I just have to run as fast as I can under his arm and get through the portal. Piece of cake._

I pushed myself at top speed, dashing unseen through the living room. But, luck was against me this time. Koenma shut the door before I could get there. I was forced to stop so I wouldn't hit the wall.

"Miyuki! What are you doing? And what on earth are you wearing?"

I didn't answer Koenma's questions, but tried to dash out the front door. This time, Kurama blocked my way. I felt a pair of arms hook around my bare waist, pinning my arms to my sides and pulling me off the ground.

"Let me go!"

"What are you doing Miyuki?" Koenma asked again, looking down at me. I said nothing, but struggled against Hiei's grip. I found this was hopeless, seeing as he was so much stronger than me. "I have to! I don't have a choice!"

"What are you talking about? What do you have to do?"

"I was born on the full moon. I have to go."

I noticed Koenma paled slightly. "Let her go, but someone follow her, keep an eye on her."

My bare feet made no sound as I was dropped. I quickly hurried in to the portal room, selected where I was going, and dashed through the vortex. I was dropped in a misty field, the full moon quite large above me.

I closed my eyes and tipped my head back, allowing the power of Mother Moon to flow through me.

"What is this all about? Why did Koenma let her go when she told him she was born on a full moon?" The detective voiced question after question.

"Will you shut up? I know as much as you do. Speed demons are some of the most secretive and least known demons in the entire span of Makai. No one knows much about them," the fire demon told him, hoping he would be quiet now.

He was.

They turned back to the demoness, watching from the edges of the field. She was in the center, her arms spread and her head back. Hiei noticed her skin was glowing slightly, the same glow that surrounded the moon. She then began to move. Her movements reminded them of a form of tai chi crossed with ballet. With every step she took, a spray of what looked like fireflies flew up, beginning to fill the field with their light. They began to circle, forming strings of light that surrounded her, flowing with her movements.

"It's like she's dancing," Kuwabara pointed out, seeming fascinated by the performance.

"Shut up," Hiei snapped, not taking his eyes from the girl. He could see the way her fine-toned muscles moved smoothly underneath her skin; the way her limbs flexed and bent; the way her hair fluttered behind her with every movement.

The detectives don't know how long they sat there, watching the speed demoness. But it must have been hours, for she didn't stop until the moon touched the horizon, and sunlight was starting to show.

The girl stopped, and Hiei could tell she was panting slightly. She straightened up from a crouched position before walking toward us. "I guess I have some explaining to do." She was carrying a sad smile. Her hands rubbed at her eyes as she yawned. She looked exhausted.

"You do, but let's go back to the house first." Kurama gave the girl a small smile, before turning to where the portal had just formed. We filed in, walking out to sit in the living room. Despite the early hour, everyone was up and waiting to hear Miyuki's story.

She sat down in the armchair, tucking her legs up underneath her and straightening her skirt. "Where to begin..."

* * *

**Eye Color Chart**

White – Fear  
Red – Anger  
Pink – Love  
Yellow – Happy  
Grey – Pain  
Orange – Confused  
Blue – Calm  
Dark Blue – Guilty  
Light Green – Sick  
Dark Green – Jealousy  
Brown – Violated  
Black – Someone else is in control


	6. A History Lesson

I looked around at my friends, seeing them watching me with a careful eye. "Do you want my entire life story, or just the background of what happened tonight?"

"I believe you should give us the entire story," Yusuke said from his spot next to Kayko.

I gave a soft sigh and began my story:

"Speed demons only give birth at night while the moon is in the sky. That is why there was never a speed demon born on a new moon. There was also very few that were born during a full moon. This is because we draw our power from the moon. During the full moon, there is so much power that is given out, our bodies can't take it, and seeing as our strength corresponds to the phase of the moon we were born during. Our looks depend on where we were born. It's a camouflage mechanism because of how different we are from other demons. Our island is always in the summer season, showing why we are usually born with brown or green hair, and tanned skin." I gave a soft sigh, looking down at my hands. "I'm a special case. I was born during the only snowstorm that has ever taken place on the island, which happened under the full moon. I'm also the only child born under a full moon to survive past the first six years of life. Our young bodies usually aren't able to survive the full power of the moon, because we draw so much power to survive until we are able to dance. The closest to surviving a full life was Papa's brother, but he passed on two days before he reached the age of six. I'm the only one to make it in to my adult life. And as soon as we can walk, we are taken under the moon, and learn to dance. Dancing rekindles the energy that the moon has given us, recreates the bond that we forged when we were born, and for every month we miss, the weaker we become."

I took a deep breath. I wasn't used to speaking that much.

"What about you? What's happened in your life?" Yusuke urged.

I sighed again, before continuing my story:

"When I was born, the village leaders said I wouldn't last until my third summer. They said that I was too weak to survive. But because of the snowstorm, I didn't receive the full power of the full moon. The clouds were covering it. Mama taught me to dance, as custom, when I was a few months old, and I participated in my first moon dance when I was ten. Until we mature fully, we are not allowed to be on our own when out in the field, for long periods of time, anyway. It was harder for them to watch me because I was the only full moon child. Other nights had many people dancing. So when I was fifteen, as is the maturing age for females, I went to the field alone for the first time, all night." My eyes burned as memories resurfaced from centuries of burial. "If I hadn't gone, I could have saved them. I had had a bad feeling, but I went anyway. The night of my first dance, my island was attacked, and every speed demon was captured. I managed to break the trance the moon had on me, and run back to the village. I returned in time to find a few demons of an unknown breed ransacking my home, my mother nowhere to be found."

I buried my head in my hands, bringing my knees to my chest.

"How did they capture everyone?" Kurama asked carefully.

"Yeah, couldn't they just run?" Kazuma added.

"They found something, I don't know what, that neutralized the power that the moon gave us. No moon, no speed. Without the moon, we are as weak as a newborn ningen." I refused to look up.

"Well, we have some new information on speed demons I have to put in. I'll call you boys soon." With that, Koenma left, exiting in to the portal room.

I stood up, heading for the stairs and up in my room. After pulling off my ceremonial garb and changed to lounge pants and a tank top, I sat down in the chair that was on my balcony. The morning air was cold, and I curled up to keep warm, not wanting to get up.

I felt a warm cloth drape over my shoulders, causing me to jump slightly. I looked up, finding a familiar face. "Hiei?"

"The others are worried about you," he said simply, moving to stand at the railing of the balcony.

I pulled the blanket tighter around me. "What about you?"

"Hn?"

"Why are you the one that came up, if the others are worried?"

"I was asked to."

"Hiei, since when do you do what you are asked, from anyone other than Koenma?" He shot me a look, but I merely turned my gaze to the slowly rising sun.

"I think I know what rendered you powerless."

I shot up, so I was now sitting perfectly straight. "Y-you do?"

"It's a stone called the tsuki-tsu, meaning 'moon-stealer'. Koenma is going to see if he can find something for you that will render the stone useless against you." He sat down at the end of the lounge chair, looking up at the lightening sky.

As he sat there, I studied him. His features were finely carved and very masculine.

"What were you?"

"What?" He gave me an odd look.

"You weren't always a Spirit Detective. Your demeanor gives it away. So what were you before?" I asked.

He leaned against the railing, avoiding my gaze. "I was a thief, along with the Fox," he answered.

"That makes sense." I sat back on the chair, drawing the blanket tighter around me. "Do we have school today?"

"You don't. Koenma has given you everyday of the full moon and the day after off. He also said you get to choose someone to stay with you." He cast a glance at me.

I caught the underlying look. "You want me to choose you."

"What?"

"The look you gave me; the under-tone in your voice. It's obvious." I closed my eyes, becoming comfortable in the reclining chair. "You can stay with me today. You'll have to fight over it next month."

I never saw the look he gave me, I had fallen asleep.


	7. A New Weapon and a Fighting Lesson

"Hey, Konpaku!"

I turned around from my locker at the call. I could see two boys approached me. One was a redhead and the other had dark hair, both with very dark eyes.

"We missed you yesterday. We hope you are feeling better." The red haired boy leaned against the locker next to mine.

"Excuse my bluntness, but do I know you?" I asked, trading my books.

"I'm Aoto. He's Tadoa," the black-haired said, his voice coming from behind me.

"Kousetsu Miyuki. Pleasure to meet you. Now if you will excuse me, I have to get to class." I closed my locker and turned to head down the hallway.

"Hey, not so fast. We'll walk you. We're in your Psychology class with you," Aoto called, before sliding his arm over my shoulders. I pulled away from him, picking up speed in my pace.

"Hey, where are you going so quickly?" Tadoa caught up with me, and pulled me to a stop.

"Let go now, please," I requested softly, trying to tug my arm from his grip. _Hiei, Kurama, help._ I could only pray that Hiei could hear my thoughts. I regretted leaving Hiei to fetch a book I had forgotten.

"What if I don't want to?"

I felt Aoto come up behind me, so I was basically stuck between the two boys. "Let go, please," I requested again.

"Don't feel like it. It's not safe for you to be walking through empty halls."

_Hiei!_ I screamed in my head. The boy in front of me was drawing closer. I closed my eyes tightly, praying that they didn't see my eyes change colors.

"Hey!"

The two boys leapt away from me at the call. "T-take-san!" Tadoa stuttered.

"What are you too doing to this poor girl?"

"Nothing! We were just-"

"Just what? Keeping her from going to her class? What were you doing?"

"Just talking."

"Is this true, Kousetsu-san?"

I opened my eyes, forcing myself to remain calm, but I said nothing in the boys' defense.

"Hm. You two get to class. I'll speak to you later." The boys disappeared down the hall toward my class. "Kousetsu-san, I've heard a lot about you. I'm Take Yoshi, the chairman of this school."

"Pleased to meet you, sir."

"Do you want to tell me what those boys were doing to you?" I shook my head, unsure of how to explain it. "All right, but if they bother you again, you let me know. Okay?"

I nodded.

"Good, now come along. I'll escort you to your class. You have Psychology now, am I correct?"

I nodded.

"Off we go then." The man gently directed me in the direction of my class.

I could feel my arms quaking slightly, gripping my books. I don't know why I was so scared, but I'm never frightened with out a reason.

"Gomen nasai, Yasai-san. But Kousetsu-san was with me. I hope that will suffice as a pass."

"Of course, Take-san."

I slinked to the back of the classroom, and sat down in my seat beside Hiei. He was my partner in this class, so we sit at the same table.

_{What happened?}_

I glanced at him. He was staring at me from the corner of his eye. _Two boys stopped me in the hallway, and Take-san helped me out._

_{You didn't let me know?}_

_I tried to, but you never responded..._

_{I never heard you.}_

_I'm not a telepath, you know that._ I refused to answer any of his calls for the rest of class.

"What are we doing out here?" I asked my guide, looking around at the Makai forest that surrounded us.

"We're here to visit someone," Hiei answered.

"Okay." I fell silent.

We soon came upon a small village, and circled the edge. I had the feeling Hiei wasn't very welcome here. A medium-sized building entered our sights, and we passed in to the cool interior. Decorating the walls, were all sorts of weapons; from bows, to staffs, to swords; they were all there. In the dim light, the metals shone brightly.

"Oh my..."

"Hiei! Long time no see! How have you been?"

"Fine, Hoshi." He gestured towards me. "She's needs a weapon, but we're not sure what is most suited for her."

I turned from the display, to find a young neko. His hair and ears were white and his eyes a bright red.

"Is this her?"

"Yes."

The man approached me. I stood up to my full height, trying to make myself looker stronger.

"What type of demon are you?"

I glanced at Hiei, who nodded. "Speed."

Red eyes widened and white ears stood up straight. "You can't be serious. They died out two hundred years ago."

"I'm 234."

"Can you prove that you are what you say?"

"How so?"

"Run around the village as fast as you can."

"Fine."

The two boys followed me. I stood on the edge of the village, waiting for a starting mark.

"Go when you're ready. I'll time you."

I ran top speed around the village, invisible to the villagers' eyes. I was back to Hiei and Hoshi in no time flat.

"Damn, you weren't lying." Hoshi's eyes were wide while Hiei only smirked, giving me a small nod. "Let's see what is best for you."

I don't know how many weapons I held in my hands. I was horrible at the bow and arrows; I managed to slice myself with swords.

"Here, try this." Hoshi handed me a black, wooden staff. Around the center of it, a soft white cloth was wrapped. The ends were tipped in a white-colored metal. "It's a bo staff."

I spun the staff in my hands. I found I could wield it easily. The cloth felt good against my hands, and my fingers instantly knew where to move to grasp the weapon.

"I think we found it."

I stood up straight and faced the two males. "I believe you are correct."

"Good! Come at me again! Again!" Yusuke yelled.

I threw another punch, only to have it caught and my balance thrown off. The hanyou used this moment to over power me, placing a foot behind me and shoving me backwards. I tripped and went down hard, dazed slightly from banging my head in to the hard padding of the training arena. A moment later I was pinned, the male sitting on me, his hands around my throat in a loose choke hold. I threw my hips up, dislodging his grip. I rolled quickly on to my feet.

I knew the basics now, so I was ready to start going full speed. I managed to land a series of punches on the hanyou, throwing him in to the mat. I pinned the male quickly, placing sharp fangs at his throat.

"You win," he panted.

I stood, before offering Yusuke a hand in getting up. Let's just say it didn't work well, and I ended up on the mat beside him. "Not fair!" I pouted.

Yusuke merely smiled, before standing up and giving me a hand. "You're doing great for a beginner. You do have a ways to go to catch up with the rest of us."

I nodded.

"Hey! We have a mission! Miyuki, you too!"

"Me?"

"Yeah, come on!" Kazuma ran out of the training room, heading upstairs.

Yusuke and I ran up stairs to the portal room. Everyone had all ready gone through, so we were last ones. A moment later, we were in Koenma's.

"Your mission: we found the killer of the speed demons."

* * *

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control  
White – Fear  
Red – Anger  
Pink – Love  
Yellow – Happy  
Grey – Pain  
Orange – Confused  
Blue – Calm  
Dark Blue – Guilty  
Light Green – Sick  
Dark Green – Jealousy  
Brown – Violated


	8. A New Enemy: Jin

"Your mission: we found the killer of the speed demons," Koenma informed us.

I froze. _Mama's killer... The person that killed both clans of speed demons, killed both the faster female and stronger male. The person that ruined my life-_

"Hey, Mi! Snap out of it."

I shook my head, brought back to reality by Yusuke. "Gomen nasai."

"I was saying, that Jin knows exactly how to destroy a demon's spirit, but only if..."

_The killer's name is Jin then-_

"Miyuki, Jin can kill your spirit by taking the moon's power away from you. As you were just replenished two nights ago, you're very close to your strongest state. But, if Jin has a tsuki-tsu in reach, there will be no hope. I found something to prevent that though." Koenma opened one of the top drawers on his desk, and pulled out a bundle of cloth. Unwrapping it revealed a white stone on a black ribbon. "This is a moon rock. It should keep you safe from Jin's powers."

I nodded, and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Koenma-sama." I tied the ribbon around my throat. I could feel power within the stone, meaning it really was a moon rock. _I wonder how he got it._

"I pray that you five stay safe. Good luck."

I was handed my bo staff, and followed the others through the portal. We were dropped in front of a dark, run-down castle. I tied my bo staff to my back, and joined the others hiding at the edge of the forest.

I felt a shiver go down my spine and I suddenly felt weak. I leaned against a tree, my lungs having to work harder as I felt my strength being sapped from me.

"Hey Mi, is the stone around your neck glowing?" Yusuke asked softly, giving me an odd look. I looked down, but wasn't able to see the stone.

"It's the castle. It's made of tsuki-tsu. It's draining her power, but the stone is replenishing it," Hiei explained. He stepped closer to me, and I felt his fingertips touch the skin of my collarbone as he pulled at the stone.

When his skin touched mine, I felt some sort of shock pass down my spine. But it was a good shock, I guess. His eyes met mine, and I noticed they widened slightly. I looked at him, confused. He moved away from me, back to Kurama's side.

I regained my ability to stand, and moved to stand with the others.

"Okay, here's the plan: Hiei and Miyuki will go in first and scout the territory. Come out after scouting out your half of the castle. Then we'll go over the rest of the plan. Hiei, keep a hook on her mind so you two can alert eachother. Got it?" We nodded. "Good, now go."

The fire demon and I bolted toward the castle, top speed past the patrolling guards that just happened to be going through the front gate. I took the west, Hiei took the east. I could feel his presence in my mind, making me feel slightly safer.

I dashed through room after room, unseen by all eyes. I memorized the layout of the castle as I ran.

_{How are you doing?}_

_I'm almost through all the rooms on my half. You?_

_{Halfway done. Hang on, look out!}_

Hiei's warning came too late. I ran head on in to a guard. I recovered faster than the guard, who was a wolf demon, and dashed away, ducking down a dark hallway.

"What the hell?"

"Are you okay? What did you hit?" Another guard had been just down the hall. He had run to his friend upon hearing the yell.

"I'm not sure. I saw white for a moment, then I was on the ground."

"Maybe Master Jin is playing with her magic again."

"Maybe."

I heard their footsteps disappear.

_{Don't do that again.}_ I scowled at the sound of Hiei's growl.

_Shut up. It wasn't my fault._

I dashed down the hall, avoiding the guards, and finishing my search. I stopped to rest inside a small, dark, empty hallway. The moon rock may have been protecting me from losing all of my strength, but the tsuki-tsu still took a lot out of me.

_{Head back out to the others. I'll be out there soon.}_

_Okay, I'll go n-_

_{No! Don't move. There are people heading in your direction. Just get-}_

His voice was cut off as I was grabbed from behind, and I gave a shriek.

"I think this is what I ran in to." It was the guards from earlier.

"Lâchez-moi! _(Let me go!)_" I screamed, not even bothering to focus on speaking on Japanese; consequently, not realizing it would give away what I was.

"Only speed demons speak Langue des Démons. Maybe we should bring the little thing to Master Jin," the larger one asked.

"I guess so," the one holding me responded.

I struggled, thrashing in the ookami's hold. I wasn't strong, I knew that, but I was flexible and had a lot of stamina. I growled, baring long, sharp fangs at the demons holding me.

"Oh look, she's trying to scare us." The buddy came around in front of me, bending to my level. His gold eyes held amusement as he saw the fear and anger in my eyes. His hand grasped my chin, turning my head side to side. "She's kind of cute. Maybe we'll keep her for a little bit before turning her in to Master Jin."

I didn't allow them to say anymore. I jerked my head back and sank fangs in to the ookami's hand, and swung my leg back in to the crotch of the man holding me. Two yells of pain reached my ears and I was set free.

As soon as my feet touched the ground, I ran top speed toward the exit. I soon ran in to Hiei.

"How the hell did you get caught?" he sneered as he struggled to keep up with me at half speed.

"I'm sorry, but I was talking to you," I snapped, and picked up speed.

I heard the fire demon growl as he fell back. I dashed through the open doors and back to the group that was still in the bushes.

"What the hell? Did you two finish?" Yusuke asked as we came to a stop beside them. The two of us were panting slightly, him more so than I.

"Onna was caught. Two guards had found her."

"What? How did you get caught?"

I glared at the fire demon. "He was keeping my attention and didn't notice them coming up behind me."

"Like right now?"

I yelped as I was grabbed from behind again. It was the same guards from earlier. "Thought you got away, didn't you? Now, we will bring you to Master Jin, along with your frie- Where did they go?"

Like we had planned if someone got caught, the others would get out of there as fast as possible, and go back for the one caught later.

"Forget them. Come on. I'm sure Master Jin will be interested in this one," the bigger one spoke up. I was thrown over a shoulder, and I struggled wildly trying to free myself. I was only gripped tighter; a muscled shoulder shoved in to my stomach. I gasped out and stopped struggling, trying to regain the breath that had just been knocked out of me. "You better stay quiet now." I swung my leg up and nailed a kick in the side of the ookami's head.

He threw me off, and I hit the ground with a thud. I scrambled my feet, trying to take off in to the woods where my friends were.

I didn't get that far before there was a pain in the back of my head and everything faded to black.

I winced and groaned as my headed pounded, drawing me from my slumber.

"Finely awake I see, good. Your friends want to say good-bye," a scratchy female voice sounded.

I forced my eyes open, revealing that I was in a small stone room with a single barred window. In the shadows, leaning against the wall opposite of me, was a very tall, maybe two meters, raven-haired woman with burning gold eyes. She was clothed in gold armor that left very little to the imagination, tight fitting and only covering what it needed to while wrapping around her stomach and shoulders. The metal also guarded her hips and shins.

"Welcome to your new home, little one. I'm Jin, your new master."

"What do you want with me?" I gasped out, finding I had very little strength.

Jin laughed, a high-pitched cackle. "What do I want with you'?" she mocked, "What did I want with all of the others like yourself. You make very good slaves as long as I let you out in to the moonlight once and a while. How does that sound?"

"I must apologize for having to deny your request." I rolled my sore shoulders, and found that my wrists were in shackles that had me hanging from the wall.

The woman laughed again, noticing my discovery. "And you won't be getting out of those until you agree. They are made out of tsuki-tsu. How you can still move, I do not know." She paced back and forth a few times, murmuring to herself. "Could it be, that you are the one they all talked about? Are you the one that survived being born on a full moon?" She moved right up to my face, her gold eyes filling my vision. She gasped, "You are! You have to be! It's the only explanation!" The moonlight glinted off her gold armor, blinding me momentarily as she went back to her spot on the other wall. "I'll give you five minutes alone with each of your friends. I will be able to hear and see everything you say and do." She left the cell through a small door in the darkest corner.

While I waited, I tested different parts of my body to see how hurt I was. My head was pounding and I could feel a second pulse, meaning that I had a nice gash just beyond the crown of my hair. Other than that, I seemed to be fine other than a bit sore.

The door opened and I looked up. "Yusuke," I said softly.

His darker eyes met mine. "Mi, we're sorry. We were caught trying to get to you. They're letting us free, but you have to stay," he apologized, turning his gaze to the floor.

"Yusuke, don't worry. We'll figure this out."

The taller boy moved closer to me. "It's hard to take you seriously when you have blood dripping down one side of your face." He smirked slightly.

I somehow managed to shrug. "I'll heal eventually."

He chuckled.

"You're all safe, right?" I was worried.

"Kuwabara's nursing a bump on the head but that's about it. The idiot tripped over a crack in the hallway and smacked his head on the wall!" He burst out laughing.

I chuckled as well, stopping once I noticed that it made my head throb.

The door opened. "Next!" Jin yelled in to the room. Yusuke patted my head before leaving, trading places with Kuwabara.

The carrot-head took one look at me before turning his gaze to the window. "Mi, it was my fault that we were caught. I managed to open the door to the guard room, letting everyone know we were here."

"Don't blame yourself. I shouldn't have been caught in the first place. So, technically, it's my fault. But I was only caught because Hiei was talking, keeping my mind from knowing what was around me. So you can blame Hiei." I managed a small smile.

"Okay, cut the sappiness. Next."

"That wasn't five minutes!" Kuwabara yelled, but fell silent quickly under Jin's glare. He exited quickly and allowed Kurama to come in.

His emerald eyes did a quick scan of wounds before he set up cleaning the gash in my head. He was silent as he set about his job. "Any other wounds?" he asked hen he had finished.

"Not that I know of. I just feel... sore, I guess. What happened?"

"Well, where we were hiding gave us the perfect view to watch what was happening you. When you were thrown on the ground, the other picked up large rock and clubbed you over the head, causing the gash and several bruises. You'll have a headache for a while, but you'll be fine."

"Thanks, Kurama."

"Yeah, yeah. Okay, get out and let the last guy in." Jin was leaning against the door, waiting for Kurama to leave. He gave me and nod and a pat on the head, like he always does. The redhead left, followed by Jin, and the fire demon entered.

"Hiei, are you okay?"

His facial expression wasn't blank as usual. He said nothing but came so close that I could feel his body heat through our clothing.

"H-Hiei, what are you-"

I was cut off by sudden warmth on my lips and my vision being filled by nothing but crimson and black.

_Is he..._

_{I am. Close your eyes and contribute or she'll get suspicious.}_

I followed orders, closing my eyes and gently kissing back.

_I didn't think my fist kiss would be like this._

_{Okay, listen, because I'm not going to repeat this. Fox and I have been talking, and have devised a plan to get you free. I could not tell it to you straight out, or by just regular mind-transfer. I needed a reason that I wouldn't be talking to straight out, or she might become aware of my telekinetic abilities.}_

_That works. So what's the..._ I trailed off, distracted by the feeling of his tongue slipping past my lips and in to my oral cavern.

_{Koenma will host an event that calls for all of the attendees to have a personal slave. We are sure Jin will bring you, to show off. We will catch her, and get you back then. Got it?}_

I couldn't answer. I could feel rough fingertips trailing along the skin of my neck.

The fire demon pulled away, and I was left dazed and breathless.

"Don't give up," he whispered before quickly turning away.

I hung my head as the door slammed shut and the sound of a bolt sliding in to place echoed through the small room. White eyes burned and tears started to flow freely down my cheeks. "Don't leave. Please don't leave me," I whimpered.

I have never been so scared.

* * *

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control  
White – Fear  
Red – Anger  
Pink – Love  
Yellow – Happy  
Grey – Pain  
Orange – Confused  
Blue – Calm  
Dark Blue – Guilty  
Light Green – Sick  
Dark Green – Jealousy  
Brown – Violated


	9. CRC Meeting

Jin, surprisingly, wasn't that bad if I obeyed her orders. If I did well during the day, she would let me wander a garden of hers that was in the center of the fortress during the night.

She didn't realize that the reason I was able to work so well around tsuki-tsu was the necklace I wore, the one held the moon rock. It was the only thing keeping me from loosing every once of power.

I do know that she killed my entire race, and I found remains of the destruction. I had taken a wrong turn and ended up in a medium-sized room, maybe five by fifteen. I had raised the candle I was holding, and made a gruesome discovery. The walls were covered with pasty white skulls. Row upon row, column upon column of skulls decorated the room. My eyes widened and tears burned down my cheeks.

Under each skull, was a small gold plaque. On the plaque, were a name and a date. I slowly walked down the hall-like room. It took me a moment to realize that on the east wall were skulls of males; the west was covered in female skulls. I kept my eyes on the west wall, and I realized I recognized all of these names.

I froze when I came upon one that was more familiar than the rest. _'Madeline'. No, Mama..._ I fell to my knees in front of the skull. I raised a shaking hand and gently touched the top of the cranium.

"What are you doing?"

I jumped as Jin's voice echoed through out the large room. "I-I'm sorry, Milady. I-I was lost and-"

"Just come on," she snapped.

I hurried after the murderer, not wanting to make her mad.

"Do you want to know why I did it?"

"Ex-Excuse me?"

Her gold eyes settled on me, not exposing any emotion. "Do you want to know why I killed your entire race?"

I nodded, though scared to know the reasoning.

She gained a sadistic look in her eyes. "You creatures don't deserve the night. It belongs to us animalistic and shadow demons. Like the ookami guards, my right hand man - a shadow demon, and me - a kumori. And where do you come in? You steal the power of the moon from us and keep it for yourselves. You're not even that strong! All you can do is run. So, I made it my life's work to reclaim the night for demons like me."

I couldn't look her straight in the eye, and I still can't.

I was standing beside her as she ate her evening meal when someone I had only seen once before came in the room. He had deep purple hair, and vibrant gold eyes.

I closed my eyes, trying to force memories away.

"Yukio, what brings you here?"

"Well, Jin, you have a message."

Jin pushed away her plate before gently wiping away any residue from her lips. "Well, what does it say?"

Yukio brought out a seat next to Jin and opened the fancy letter. "'Dear Miss Jin, you have been invited to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the rarest creatures known to Makai. We are aware you posses a rare creature of your own. We would appreciate if you would bring the creature, ready for showing, with you to this event. Our regards, CRC.' CRC? I don't believe I know this one."

"'Collectors of Rare Creatures'," Jin clarified. She looked deep in thought, staring at nothing. "I believe I'm going to take them up on their offer. When is it?"

"Tomorrow."

"Pack my things and find something suitable that will bring attention to Miyuki. I want her to be the center of attention there. And because she will be, I will." She was carrying another one of those sadistic smirks.

_I have a bad feeling about this..._

"Turn around."

I followed orders, turning on the spot so Jin could see the outfit she had chosen. The leather felt odd on my skin, and covered too little for my taste. It was a halter-top that was low cut and stopped just below my breasts. A matching set of high-heeled boots went up and over my knees, and a coordinating skirt was just long enough to cover what it needed to.

"What do you think, Yukio?"

I glanced at the male out of the corner of my eye. I watched in disgust as he licked his lips. "I'd do her in a second."

"Enough of that now. We are almost past the fashionably late time. Let's go."

I was dragged through a shadow portal and was dropped in front of a large Makai mansion. For the first time in a while, I felt like I was at full power, but I didn't feel safe. _This was not their plan. What's going on? When are they going to come for me?_

We headed in to the large building, and I was shocked by what I saw. All sorts of living things had been caught and put on display for rich people to gawk at.

There was an albino kumori that had four wings; a pair of twin angels seemed the most terrified of us all; a human girl rocked back and forth in her chains, her mind seemingly broken; and the rarest of all creatures, a female elf glared at all passerby who got too close.

My eyes widened as colors shifted to express the fear I was feeling. I had a strong urge to just run, and I was about to put that plan in to action when I was grabbed from behind.

"Don't even think about it," Yukio growled. I was thrown over his shoulder, my limbs restrained to make sure I couldn't hurt him.

"Let me go! Please, just let me go!"

The other restrained creatures looked over toward Yukio and I, alerting their captors to the trouble I was causing.

A quick clawed hand to the face silenced me. I gasped as I felt the claws create deep gashes across my cheek, narrowly missing my eye. The blue blood of a speed demon started to well up instantly. "Shut up. You will not embarrass me here," Jin hissed. I could see her raise her hand to strike me again and I flinched, falling still on Yukio's shoulder. Jin's sneer turned to a soft smile and she gently ran her claws through my hair. "Good girl."

I was placed on the last platform, and chains latched on to my ankles and wrists, binding me to the spot.

I could feel the gashes starting to heal, as wounds usually did. They would be gone in an hour or so, but they would leave scars.

"What do we have here?" A bull demon had wandered over to my platform, and was looking me over with a careful eye.

"Full blooded speed demon. The last living one. The only one to live to be born on a full moon," Jin bragged.

"Impossible. They were wiped out two centuries ago. And besides, she looks nothing like one," the demon countered.

"Would you like a demonstration?"

"Yes. Catch."

He had thrown a ball in to the air. I waited until it was in my reach and I snatched it out of the air.

"What? Where did it go?"

I let a small smile slip. I had used super speed to grab the ball, making it seemed like it had disappeared out of thin air. I held out the small white ball to the man, who snatched it out of my palm.

"What language does she speak?"

"Two; Japanese and Langue de Demon."

I tuned out their talking, and withdrew in to my own thoughts. _They promised to come get me. Where are they?_

_{All around you.}_

My eyes shot open and I looked around the room. Two figures caught my eyes. They were standing by the doorway, one much taller than the other. They were dressed in guards' uniforms, but they were not as large as the others in the muscle department. _Yusuke and Kazuma?_

_{And on the east side?}_

I glanced to the right of me. Next to the twin angels, was a guard with long red hair.

_Kurama?_

_{And behind you?}_

I had noticed there was a guard standing behind each of the creatures on display. Behind me was the shortest of all guards.

_Hiei?_

_{Good. Now, this is a real meeting of CRC, an illegal, underground operation. Koenma thought it would be possible to kill two birds with one stone.}_

_He wants to hurt birds? But they have done nothing to us?_

_{Shut up and wait for the signal.}_

_What signal?_

_{Now!}_

I gasped and jumped slightly as red lights had started to go off. I noticed that the other creatures were fighting to break their bonds as their captors bolted for the exit, which was between Yusuke and Kazuma. They had found that the doors were bolted shut, and there was no other ways out. My friends - well, three of them - worked on catching the criminals and calming the other creatures. I pulled with all my strength at my chains. Hiei must have noticed because he helped me wrench the shackles off my wrists before going to help our friends.

Jin did not join the others, but she was glaring heatedly at me. Because I was no longer under her control, I allowed all of the anger and hate I had toward this women pool from the deepest recesses of my subconscious and my body.

"Miyuki!"

I turned just in time to catch my bow staff, which I now held at the ready. I was about to fight for my life, and the lives of my kind.


	10. The First Battle

"Miyuki!"

I turned just in time to catch my bow staff, which I now held at the ready. I was about to fight for my life, and the lives of my kind.

Jin's glare intensified and she bent in to a fighting position. I knew from listening to her, and the way her armor was made, that she had no wings - despite that she was a kumori. So I knew I wouldn't have to deal with her flying.

She took offensive first, forcing me to duck, weave, and block all of her attacks. She didn't seem to have any weapons concealed on her body, so all I had to worry about was claws.

My feet were swept out from underneath me, and trying my hardest, I wasn't able to catch myself. I landed hard on my back. I was able to get my bo staff in front of me to stop Jin from clawing my face, but I wasn't strong enough to throw her off.

"Miyuki!"

I heard the sound of running. A quick glance revealed the boys were headed toward me. "No!" I yelled, "This is my fight, and I'm going to finish it." The boys stopped, but stood by, ready to help.

I managed to dig one end of my staff in to the floor, which put Jin off balance. Using the leverage it supplied me, I managed to shove her off and get quickly to my feet.

She dove at me as soon as she regained her balance. I dashed so that she slid in to the wall that had been just behind me. There was a sickening thud as she slid to the floor. She turned to me, her gold eyes flashing menacingly as blood formed a river from above her hairline. She dashed at me, and I replied with a well-placed kick to her gut, denting the metal of her armor.

After that happened, I realized something. Her breathing had quickened, shortened. Denting her armor was constricting her breathing, making her body have to work harder and exhausting her more quickly-

I wasn't paying attention, and she slashed me twice with her claws. My right shoulder and my left side were torn to shreds instantly. I cried out and put pressure on the side wound, feeling blood slipping between my fingers. She gave a short laugh, but was cut off by placing a hard kick to her chest, denting the metal there as well.

She had started to slow down. Her armor wasn't allowing her chest to expand with her breathing, making it tough to take in oxygen. I managed to get two more kicks in, one to the chest and one to the gut, before she collapsed. It was good timing, because the pain in my side was beginning to become too much. I sank to my knees, still clutching my side.

"I win," I gasped out.

"N-no," she stuttered before spitting up blood. "I won two-hundred years ago when I wiped out all of your kind."

My eyes must have been glowing red with all the anger I had right now.

She laughed, before letting another splatter of blood drip from her lips. "You're all alone now. I even killed your little boyfriend; remember? I know you were there when I sent the ookami's in to the male village. You had gone there for help, only to find that the carnage had continued."

With a growl, I dove at the kumori, ignoring my injuries. I felt two sets of arms hold me back. "Don't. You'll only hurt yourself more. Let Kurama take care of your wounds. We'll take care of her," Yusuke said calmly.

I sighed, closing my eyes and relaxing in the hanyou's and Kazuma's grip. "Fine."

I was sat down on the edge of one of the platforms, knowing I was in Kurama's capable hands.

"A word of advice to you: never fight in high heels," I laughed, managing a smile.

He smiled as well. I felt a soft, wet cloth dab at the cuts on my cheek, getting rid of the dried, blue blood. "These are too far healed all ready. I can't do anything to stop the scarring." He started working on my shoulder now. Those cuts were deep, not as deep as the ones on my side, but still quite deep. "I can't stop the scarring on any of them. I'm sorry, Miyuki; you're stuck with these scars." His eyes met mine sorrow clouding them.

I shrugged. "No big deal. As long as they do get infected, I'm happy." He shook his head slightly, the tips of his lips curved up. I winced slightly as he cleaned the wounds before tightly wrapping them.

When he finished, he helped me to my feet, though I barely spent a moment on them before I was lifted. "Nice to see you too, Hiei."

"Hn."

I rested against his body, tired and sore. My blue eyes slowly slid closed and my head fell against his shoulder. I didn't sleep though. I think they thought I was.

"What did Jin say to her, after the fight?"

"Miyuki had a boyfriend?"

"That's what she said. Wonder who it was?"

"It was two centuries ago. I bet she's over him."

"Let's ask her about it when she's wakes up."

"Let's."

One person said nothing. The fire demon's grip on me increased with every spoken sentence. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from crying out. But I did wince slightly. His grip slacked, and my wounds stung less.

_{You aren't asleep.}_

_I know._

_{Are you listening to what they are saying?}_

_Yes._

_{Is it true?}_

_No._

_{So you never had a boyfriend?}_

_No, I haven't._

_{Why aren't you going to say anything?}_

_If you haven't notice, it hurts to talk; stretches the fresh scars._

_{So you're not going to set them straight?}_

_Tomorrow._

My body fell still in his arms as my senses lost feeling to the world.

A gentle hand brushed hair away from slowly opening eyes.

"Good morning. You woke up just in time for school," Kayko said, smiling slightly.

I sat up, yawning softly. "Why, what time is it?"

"Six thirty."

I slipped out of bed, stretching sore muscles. "What's my excuse for missing two weeks of school?"

"Car accident."

I nodded, heading in to the bathroom to change. I was still in the clothes from yesterday, minus the boots. I slipped out of the leather and pulled on the more comfortable cotton uniform. I could see, in the mirror, the dark scars that now slashed over my left side, right shoulder, and left cheek. The ones on my body were cover easily by the uniform, but the three long, scratch-like scars fanned across my cheek were dark against white skin. One from my temple, just missing my eye, stopping at my lips; the second from just above my ear and ending at my chin; the final one from the end of my jaw, coming to an end just before my trachea. I tore my eyes from my reflection, and finished getting ready.

Breakfast was uncomfortable. The boys, other than Hiei, wanted to question about what Jin had said.

"Hey, Mi. Can I ask you something?" Yusuke broke the silence.

I sighed softly. "If it's about what Jin said yesterday, I will answer questions after school." The boys fell silent. I rolled my eyes and headed for the portal.

"Hey, Konpaku, where have you been?"

I kept the left side of my face hidden from Aoto and Tadoa as they approached from the right. "I was in a car crash," I lied.

Tadoa leaned against the locker, brushing his black hair back from his eyes. "You don't look like it. No limp, no casts. Are you lying to us, Konpaku?"

I shook my head, closing my locker. My hair was hanging in my face, concealing any sign of the scars.

"Hey!" My arm was grabbed and I was whipped around to face the two boys, bad memories entering my mind. My eyes were wide with fear, and for a split second I worried if they had seen colors change. The two boys didn't seem to notice my eyes. They're own eyes were focused on the three dark scars that dashed along my cheek. I closed my eyes, hoping they were blue and that they hadn't seen anything.

"Again? What did I tell you two last time?"

The three of us jumped at the sound of Take's voice. Aoto let go of me and stepped back beside Tadoa. I backed away, my back hitting against the lockers. I tried to control my shaking hands, refusing to open my eyes.

"I'm ashamed of you two. My office, now," the older man snapped. "I'll be there after escorting Kousetsu-san to her class."

"Sir, that won't be needed. I'll take care of her."

"Jaganshi-san, yes, of course."

I felt a hand gently grasp my shoulder, and gently pulled me away from the lockers. _{I've got you. Come on.}_

I took a shaky step forward, but managed to stumble. I hit Hiei's shoulder, but still refused to open my eyes. I had heard the man and two boys leave, disappearing down the hallway.

_{Come on.}_

I shook my head and pushed away from Hiei. The only thing that was accomplished from that was dropping my books and stumbling again. I was still refusing to open my eyes.

_{Open your eyes, and look at me. What's going on?}_ Hiei's arms slipped around me, keeping me from hitting the ground.

Again, I shook my head, my eyes still tightly shut. I wrapped my arms tightly around myself as my eyes began to sting.

_{Onna, tell me.}_

"D-don't let him touch me, please," I whimpered.

"Don't let who touch you?" Hiei pressed. He allowed me to kneel on the ground, and moved to kneel in front of me.

"H-he hurt me. Don't let him touch me," I repeated. I finally opened my eyes. I knew what colors they were. A thick ring of silvery-white, and the edges clouded in a deep brown.

The male's eyes widened. His glanced traveled off the side, not really focusing on anything. I could feel his hands on my shoulders, a soothing, but tight grip.

I closed my eyes again as I heard footsteps heading toward us. I worked on trying to stop shaking, but as long as those memories were in my mind, I couldn't.

I felt Hiei's grip tighten considerably. It took me a moment to realize why. He saw. He now knew what had happened.

The footsteps were now right down the hallway, heading quickly for us.

"What happened?" It was Kurama.

I barely listened to their conversation. I was brought out of my thoughts by the feeling of Hiei pulling me to my feet. "Come on. We're bringing you home." I gave a shaky nod. I wasn't steady enough to stay on my feet. I felt Hiei slip a supportive arm around my waist. I found I was leaning heavily on him, and he allowed me to. _{I've got you now. That won't happen again. I won't let it.}_

_Thank you..._

I was home, seated in the kitchen. Kurama had give me a mug of herbal tea, and had instructed me to drink it all, before leaving me to myself.

Hiei had disappeared soon after leaving me in Kurama's care. I'm not sure where he went, but I had a good feeling he went to Koenma's.

"Hey, Miyuki."

I glanced up at the speaker, nodding.

Yusuke slid in to the seat across from me. "You okay?"

I nodded again.

"You sure?"

Another nod.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?"

I shook my head.

"What was Jin talking about?"

My lips quirked into a soft smile. "Just to get this over with, I have never had a boyfriend. Jin was lying about that. To understand it, you need to know a bit more about our way of life. You see-"

"Miyuki, Yusuke, come on. Koenma is looking for us." I looked up at the sound of Kazuma's voice. I gave Yusuke an apologizing look before following after the Kuwabara.

On the other side of the portal, was Koenma's office. Hiei and Kurama were also there. All eyes were on me as we entered the room.

"Miyuki, I believe you owe us a few explanations," Koenma mused.

I bit my lip. "Do you have a map of my island?" I was handed a folded paper. Unfolding it revealed a crude map of the Isle of Speed Demons.

I spread it out on the desk, allowing everyone to come close to see. "I'll explain what Jin said first. But I have to explain a few other things for it to be understood." I pointed to the village on the western side of the island. "This is where the females lived, and over here," I pointed to the eastern village, "is where the males were. From the beginning, we've separated these tribes. Bad things happened if we lived together." I pointed to where the lighter green patches along the river were. "These are the dancing meadows, one for each village, though the males don't actually dance, they just tended to bask. They are on a higher elevation then the rest of the island, other than Mt. Neige-"

"Mt 'Neige'?"

I pointed to the white point on the northern part of the island. "It means 'Mount snow'. My home was at the base of Mt. Neige." I pointed to the small hut drawn at the base. I moved my finger to a small lighter green patch at the top of the island. "This is the burning meadow. And finally, down here," I pointed to the final light green square, "is the mating caves." I felt my cheeks heat up slightly. "The rest of the island is covered in forests."

"What does this have to do with your boyfriend?"

I sighed heavily at Yusuke's question. "To start off, Roul was not my boyfriend, not my mate, or anything like that."

"Miyuki and Roul, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Yusuke and Kazuma started to sing.

I shook my head and continued explaining, with Koenma's urging. "When males reach the age of eighteen, they are allowed to cross the river and watch the females dance. This gives them a chance to pick out their mates, or narrow down the search. Now, most males didn't believe that a female had survived being born on a full moon, so they didn't bother coming to the fields that night. But one male wanted to see if these rumors were true. His name was Roul. When I finished dancing that night, he came right up to me. He had seemed so sure of himself it was amazing. Over the next couple months, we had gotten closer. He actually started bringing his friends to meet me and watch me dance." I laughed softly. "But he was just like a little kid, even though he was only a few years older than me."

"What happened to him?"

"He was murdered during the raid of the male village," I answered.

The room was quiet.

"I believe you have something else to tell us, Miyuki. The reason Hiei and Kurama pulled you out of school early," Koenma reminded me.

I immediately closed my eyes and shook my head. "N-no." I didn't want to relive that, but it was too late. The memories were already flooding my mind again.

"Miyuki. You will tell us what got you so upset." The prince stood up, staring down at me.

My eyes began to sting. "No," I whimpered.

"Then Hiei will break in to your mind and tell us what he finds."

"He already knows!" I cried, shrinking back in to my chair. "He knows, he saw."

"Hiei?"

I felt the fire demon's hand land on my shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. "The male that was captured with Jin, known as Yukio," he paused, "He raped Miyuki."

I flinched and curled up tighter in to a ball, wrapping my arms around myself. "Don't let him hurt me again, please," I whispered.


	11. A Lesson in Culture

"I hate doctors," I muttered under my breath as I exited the portal.

After Koenma had found out what had happened to me, he had forced me down to the infirmary to have his doctor's look over me and run some tests. I felt like I needed a hot shower and a good scrubbing now.

"Miyuki."

I yelped and dashed up the wall, hiding among the exposed rafters, too fast to be seen by human or demon eyes. I glanced down at the male, his ruby eyes giving me an odd look. I sighed in relief. "Hiei, please don't scare me like that."

He rolled his eyes before continuing past me down the hall.

"Hey, Hiei," I called softly, dropping down gracefully from the rafters. The male stopped, turning his head toward me to indicate that he was listening. "I just wanted to say, arigatou, for earlier." I felt a heat swell up along my cheekbones. My hand went behind my head in an embarrassed way. I glanced up at the male to notice that he was smirking, watching me out of the corner of his eye. My blush deepened and I quickly disappeared before his eyes, in reality only dashing as quickly as I could down the hall to the portal, and straight to my room.

Flustered, I began to gather my things for a shower, grabbing my shower bag. I don't have my own, personal bathroom, oh no. Each bedroom had an attached half bath, but each floor had one full bathroom. I dashed in to the bathroom on the floor of my bedroom, and proceeded to take care of myself.

I caught a glance of myself in the mirror, and stopped, gazing at the girl that was my reflection. Skin pale as the snow, hair as white as possible, calm blue eyes, her facial features marred by three long, dark scars across her left cheek. I closed my eyes, and stepped under the steaming water.

My mind was a swirl of tangled thoughts, so I set about untangling them figuring out each one. I noticed that a lot of them were centered on Hiei.

I shoved the thoughts to the back of my mind and finished up in the shower. Stepping out of the shower, I began to dry myself off with a towel. With the large cloth over my head, I reached for where I usually placed my clothing.

There was nothing but cold counter top.

I pulled the towel off my head and my eyes widened when I realized I had forgotten clothing in my messy state of mind. "Zut! _(Shit!)_" I cursed in my first language. I gathered up my things, and wrapped a towel tightly around myself. I opened the door to the hallway, still grumbling to myself, not realizing that I was about to run in to someone.

I dropped my shower things, and barely kept my grip on the towel. I looked up, my cheeks becoming warmer with a vibrant blush. "D-desolé, _(I-I'm sorry,)_" I stuttered.

Hiei raised an eyebrow. I noticed his eyes went quickly up and down, following along my figure. I blushed even more then kneeled to gather the items that I had dropped. I noticed that Hiei had also started to help, picking up the items that had fallen out of the bag.

"Ar-arigatou," I stuttered, taking the bag. I quickly headed back to my room, shutting the door, and dressing quickly.

"Hey, Mi! Come on! We have a mission!" Yusuke yelled through the door.

"Coming!" I quickly pulled my still-damp hair back in to a low ponytail before following the boys out to Koenma's office for the second time today.

"Hello again. I have a mission for you. A demon has been ra- killing girls that live alone and work at a certain place in Ningenkai."

I narrowed my eyes at the sound of his slip-up. "Are you sure it's a demon?"

"The evidence supports it." He pushed a few photos to the edge of his desk.

I glanced over them but quickly averted my eyes. Those poor girls... The pictures were of gruesome murders. I was glad I had a strong stomach.

"Miyuki, this mission is mainly for you. You will be given a job there, an apartment nearby to yourself-"

"No."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "What do you mean, 'no'?"

"I will not stay in an apartment by myself." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Not after what happened last time," I added on a quieter note.

"Then Hiei will stay with you."

"Fine."

"Hey! Why does Hiei get to go and the rest of us stuck somewhere else," the hanyou complained.

"It has to seem that Miyuki lives alone. Hiei is the only one that could keep that illusion."

"Sir, what's the job?"

"Eh..." The Reikai prince looked uncomfortable. "You'll be an exotic dancer."

Yusuke and Kazuma both started laughing. "Miyuki? A stripper?" Yusuke gasped out.

I tilted my head slightly in confusion. "What's a stripper?"

"Someone who takes off their clothes for money," Kurama answered.

I blushed heavily. "I don't believe that they would hire someone who is marred." I nervously put my fingertips to the scars the crossed my cheek.

"That's why you wear this." He handed me a silver ring containing a small blue stone. "It is an enchanted ring that will provide you with a disguise. Just one problem, it won't change your eyes. They will still change colors."

I slipped the ring on my right little finger, where it felt perfectly. I felt a warmth surround me. After a minute or so, it faded.

"Whoa, hottie!" I glanced at Kazuma, who had spoken. His eyes seemed to be trying to escape their sockets. Next to him, it seems that Yusuke's jaw was ready to fall off. Kurama's eyes were also wide. Hiei was different. He wasn't staring at me like the others, but I could see a pink tint in his cheeks. I looked back at Koenma. He simply handed me a hand mirror. I flipped it over and my eyes widened at what I saw.

I hadn't changed much. My hair had turned to a bright red and curled, my skin became tanned, though not overly so, and my curves had become slightly more pronounced. And, best of all, my scars were gone.

I picked at a lock of hair, the red vibrantly standing out. "Do I have an outfit for work?"

"Uh... Oh! Yes. Here." He handed me a bundle of clothing.

"Can I still use my demon speed while wearing the ring?"

"Hai."

I nodded, ready to begin.


	12. What is My Job?

"It's not bad," I said softly, placing my bag on the bed.

"Hn."

I sat down on the bed, and watched Hiei hide his bag deep in the closet. I could see anger in his movements.

"Is something wrong?"

"Hn."

I turned my eyes to the floor, "You can trust me, you know. I would go blabbing to the others. I'm not stupid."

"I know. You're far from stupid."

He still didn't look at me, his eyes avoiding mine. It was starting to really confuse me. "Then, please, tell me what's on your mind."

"You."

My eyes widened. "Did I-I anger you?"

"No."

"I'm confused." I closed my eyes, trying to sort this out. "You're angry about something. The something is about me, but it's **not** me."

"Hm."

I twisted a lock of red hair between my fingers, the color still foreign to my eyes. I couldn't place what was going through the mind of the male in front of me. It was I who on his mind, but it wasn't me that made him angry. I couldn't understand what he meant by that.

"Don't worry about it, onna. It is nothing you need to concern yourself with." With that, the fire demon rose and exited the room. "I'm going to take a run around the place," he called back, noticing my obvious confusion.

"O-okay." I nodded before turning to unpack.

It wasn't even a minute after the fire demon leaving that there was a knock on the door of the small apartment. A quick peek in the mirror to make sure that I was still a redhead, and I headed to open the door, calling out a quick 'coming'. Outside of my apartment door, stood a dark-haired man. He tugged slightly at his dark leather coat before shaking his hair out of the vibrant blue eyes.

I remembered from my briefing that this was the owner of the club. "Good afternoon, sir. It is nice to finally meet you." I gave him a curt bow, but not too low. Straightening up, I stepped backwards, away from the door, and offered him a smile. "Would you like to come in for some tea?"

"Of course. Thank you. Sorry for disturbing."

I couldn't help but smile at him again. "Excuse me, I'll pull out a set of slippers for you." I paused for a second. "Did I unpack them, yet?" I muttered to myself. I slipped back in to the bedroom/living room and found the yet-to-be-unpacked box. I had never been in a Japanese-style living quarters before, so Koenma and provided me with some 'essentials'. I pulled out the brand-new slippers, quickly removing the wrapping before hurrying back to the entrance. "I apologize. I haven't finished unpacking yet." I handed over the slippers to the male.

"Thank you." He entered the apartment, finally leaving the entranceway. I stood, slightly off to the side as I watched him examine the layout of the apartment.

It was small, but it was enough for just me. A hallway contained kitchen and the door to the bathroom as well as a closet. It then led to the bedroom, which had sliding doors out on to a small balcony.

"Are you here by yourself?"

"Yes. My family didn't completely approve of me moving out here, so it's just me." I filled the kettle with water, setting it to boil. "I have to apologize, I can't remember your name."

This brought his attention back towards me. "My name? Taka Akio. And yours?"

"I am Hana Miu. You can call me Mi-chan. Pleased to finally meet you, Taka-san."

I could see his lips quirk in to an almost-smile. "Are you sure you are suited for this job?"

"I just dance, right?" I turned as the tea whistled to pour it in to the two cups. "Please, let us move in to the main room. I have no furniture other than a bunch of boxes, but it's more comfortable than standing around." I flashed him another smile, my blue eyes watching him for a short moment before looking over the apartment again, making sure that there was nothing that could give my true reasons away.

Nothing was out of place.

We took a seat beside one of the unpacked boxes that sat on the floor with the tea tray on top.

"Your smile will charm any man, so you don't need to worry about that. I'm here to discuss what your angle will be. I have plenty of girls to play the sultry angle. Customers are getting bored. How do you feel about naïve and playful? Do you think you can play it?" He raised an eyebrow toward me before taking a sip of his tea.

"I believe that is me, already. I feel that I really don't have to change my personality much. Are my looks okay for that?"

He looked thoughtful, then tugged gently on the curly red hair. "Natural?"

I shook my head. "I rebelled against my parents. I have no attachment to the color. What do you think it should be?"

His head tilted slightly to the side. "School girl, I think. White undergarments." He stopped muttering and pulled out a notepad, jotting notes down quickly, for a human. "Keep the hair. Straighten it, though." He snapped the notebook shut and drained his tea. "Thank you. I'll see you for your shift tonight, at eight pm."

"Thank you for stopping bye. I trust my clothes will be there?"

"Yes. Goodbye." I waved slightly as he headed out the door.

As soon as he was gone, I breathed a sigh of relief. "You can come out now."

The balcony door slid open the barest amount as Hiei slipped in to the apartment.

"How was my performance? Convincing enough?"

He gave a curt nod then looked around the small room. "How long are we here for?"

"Until we catch the demon."

I sighed, turning to sort through boxes. "It's odd, being in a Japanese style housing complex. Our home is Western, so it's a big change." I was chatting idly. I knew he had something on his mind, but he wasn't going to talk, so, my thinking was, maybe I could hit something that could get a reaction from him. I brought my bathing stuff in to the bathroom, raising my voice enough that the male could hear me. "Do you know what Koenma was talking about when he cut himself off? He seems to be hiding some aspects of this mission. I don't even know what a 'stripper', as Yusuke called it, is. Do you know what they do? I kno-"

I turned around, only to run in to Hiei, his eyes boring down in to mine. _I hit the nerve~_

"What nerve are you thinking about?"

"Wondering what is on your mind. You won't tell me. My questions, they set you off. What about them?" I tilted my head slightly, looking up at him.

His stare turned in to a glare. "They have nothing to do with you."

"Then what am I supposed to do? I want to go in already knowing. I don't like, 'flying blind' as you say it." I stood straighter, proving my defiance towards what he wanted me to know. I wanted to know what was going on, and not 'left in the dark'.

His glare softened and he crossed his arms, simply now just watching me. I smiled slightly, knowing that was going to get my way.

"This is your last chance to back out. Do you really want to do what is going to happen tonight?"

I responded with no hesitation, "Yes."

For a millisecond, I saw a smirk cross his lips. "You will be taking off your clothes, in exchange for money. Men will hand you the bills, and according to how much they hand you, the further you go, whether it was how you are positioning your body or how you touch yourself." He moved closer to me, his height now feeling like he was towering over me. "They will try and touch you in inappropriate places." Hiei wrapped an arm around me, that hand landing on my bottom. The other was snaking up my stomach towards my breasts. His head bent down and I could feel a hot breath on my neck.

I couldn't help but gasp out at the overload of emotions and feelings. My hands moved of their own accord to rest on Hiei's waist. I could feel his muscles twitch beneath my touch.

His hands slowly removed themselves from their places and snaked down my arms. Taking my hands in his, he moved them towards the buttons on my shirt. "They will tell you to 'take it off'. This means they are asking you to remove your clothing. You have to do it in a way that will make them keep looking. This gets you more money. But you have to keep up the innocent and naïve persona." He slowly made my hands move down to the buttons on my jeans now. "Move slowly. It drives them mad that you're taking so long. They just want to see what's underneath." He moved one of my hands to the side of his neck and the other on his hip. His hands then left mine and moved to rest on my hips. "You may be asked to dance with a client." He started moving my hips in slow circles, dragging them slowly towards his own. "They maybe able to follow you. They may not. You have to follow them. If they pull you closer, get closer." He pulled me flat against him, one of his legs now in between mine.

I couldn't break our locked gaze. Those crimson eyes were pulling me in.

"As slow as you can go with out them making you go faster, is your best choice. Sometimes, they may want your back to them." His hands pushed me away slightly before turning me around so my back was towards his chest, then pulled me in close so our hips were moving together again. He let one of his hands leave my hips to move to my hands. He moved one to rest on my thigh. The other was pulled to rest against his cheek. "They'll ask you to touch them. They go after you because no one will go after them. The face. The body. The legs. The arms. They just want to feel your touch."

I could almost feel the beat of the silent music that we were dancing to. It matched the beat of Hiei's heart that I could feel through my hand as the male moved it to rest on his neck. My breath shuddered in my lungs. My heart beat hard in my chest.

Then, all at once, it seemed to end as Hiei stepped back away from me, putting space between the two of us. "That should help you with tonight. You need to start getting ready. It's six o'clock." With that, he disappeared out of the door.

Everything seemed to catch up and I collapsed against the tub. I tried to steady my heart and breathing.

Something was off inside of me, and I didn't know what it was.

* * *

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated


	13. Sickness

I twisted a lock of scarlet hair between my fingers in nervousness. Taka-san had left me in the back room while he went to fetch another girl that would help me learn the ropes. I didn't even have the clothes that I was supposed to be wearing yet.

It turned out that the clothes Koenma had given me had been too 'sultry' for Taka-san's taste, so we were going with the schoolgirl motif.

The door was opened with a 'bang' and a dark-haired girl rushed in. She pulled slightly at the extremely short black dress, adjusting the skull belt that rested around her hips before pulling her hair in to low pigtails.

She turned her sights on me immediately. "You're Miu?"

I nodded, standing up to meet her. "Yes."  
She gave a slight bow. "I'm Akemi. I'll be helping you out tonight. Here are your clothes. Hurry up. I have to do make-up and hair on you and we only have twenty minutes until you're on stage."

I gave a quick nod and looked around for a changing room.

Akemi laughed. "You change right here, honey. You're just going to be taking it off out there."  
I nodded again, and quickly changed, pulling on the clothes they had set aside for me.

As soon as I was dressed, Akemi quickly ran a brush through my hair and did some simple make-up. The skirt wasn't as short as the other females, but it only made it to mid-thigh. The shirt wasn't long enough to touch the top of my skirt and showed the barest amount of my stomach. The black tie fell to just below my bust line.

"Okay, hun. Ready to go?"

I took a deep breath, and then nodded. "Let's do it."

-[-]-

"Sweetheart, for your first night on the job, you did a great job. Where did you learn to bend like that?" Akemi asked as we changed back in to normal clothes.

I simply smiled. "I grew up dancing. So did my mother. You could say it's in my blood."

She laughed as she pulled on her shirt. "Well, it paid off. Nice job."

"Thank you. Are you on tomorrow?"

"No, I'm not on for the next two nights."

"Well, I thank you for your guidance."

"Hun, you were made to dance. Enjoy the rest of your night. I'll see you later."

"See ya!" I called out after her.

I pulled on my coat and gathered my stuff. It was three in the morning and I had a kilometer walk back to my apartment. It wasn't safe to use my speed. I couldn't give myself away.

As I stepped outside the club, I could see my breath in the air. "Let's get home," I said to no one.

"Talking to yourself? People are going to think you're crazy, you know?"

I whipped around, not expecting someone to be there. My eyes took in the shaggy dark hair and the oddly colored eyes, for a human. They were red, but not crimson like Hiei's.

I simply smiled. "Talking to yourself means you're psychologically sound. It's when you start answering yourself is when you have a problem."

He gave a short chuckle. "So you're Kazu-chan, right?"

I shook my head. "Just for a stage name. I'm Hana Miu. And you are?"

He smirked, taking a step closer. That was when I realized that he was quite a bit taller than me, close to Kazuma's height. "Ryuu. Just, Ryuu."

I gave a short bow. "Nice to meet you, Ryuu-san. If you don't mind, I'll be on my way home now." I turned and headed towards my apartment.

I blinked and Ryuu was in front of me again. I was in mid-step and couldn't stop in time, especially in the heels I wasn't used to. The male caught me as I stumbled. "Easy there. You okay?" His eyes seemed to almost glow as he helped me back up.

I nodded. "Yes, thank you. I'm just tired." As if on cue, I stifled a yawn.

Ryuu smirked again. "Where do you live? I'll walk you home."

I passed him a sleepy smile. "You don't have to do that."

He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me in the direction of my temporary home. "It's no problem." We walked in silence for a few blocks. "So where are you from?"

"The countryside. Ran away from my parents. They were trying to force me in to an arranged marriage."

"So, you moved to Tokyo all on your own?"

"Yep, just me and myself. Taka-san helped me to get an apartment and get a job. He's been very kind."

Ryuu tightened his arm around me, pulling me closer to the very warm body. "You're shivering, honey."

I gave another sleepy smile. "And you're warm." I let another yawn loose. "Thank you for walking me home."

"Anything for a pretty girl like you." I could hear the smirk in his voice. "This is your building, right?"

I looked up, seeing the newly familiar building. "This is me. Thank you for walking me home." I stepped away from the man. "How do you know me, anyway?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets, looking up at the building looming over us. "I go to the club pretty often. I've gotten bored with the regular girls, and you were new. You were different." His eyes settled on me with that glowing look again. "You peaked my interest." He gave me a smirk and a wink. "I'll see you tomorrow night." He seemed to melt in to the darkness around us.

I couldn't help but smile as I turned in to the building. I opened the door to my apartment, finding it dark. Flipping on the lights, I wasn't surprised to see Hiei leaning against the kitchen cabinet.

I gave the fire demon a smile. "Are you hungry?"

He just stared.

"I'm starving. Some veggie ramen sounds good to me." I pulled out the package and put some water on to boil. "Are you sure you don't want anything?"

He just stared.

I rubbed my arms. "Is it cold in here, or is it just me?" I scoffed at myself. "Of course you don't notice. You're a fire demon." I headed in to the bedroom to search for a sweater. "I don't even know how to change the temperature in a place like this. Do you?" I cast a glance at the fire demon that had followed me in to the room.

Not finding a sweater, I settled on pulling a fleece blanket over my shoulders and wrapping it around me. "Are you going to say something, or are you just going to keep staring?"

When he didn't answer, I shook my head and brushed passed him to head back towards the now boiling water. I poured the steaming water in to the Styrofoam cup and set it down to wait.

What surprised me is that as soon as I placed the water back on to the stove, I found myself pressed against the fridge. Crimson eyes burned in to mine as my hands were pinned against the cold metal.

"Hiei, what's going on?" I pulled gently at my hands, not really trying to get free.

As soon as I broke the connection between our eyes, both of my wrists were held in one of his hands and his free hand grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look up at the male.

"I don't want other men looking at you the way they were tonight," he said in a low voice.

That took me aback. "What do you mean?" I couldn't help but keep my voice in a low tone as well.

"They look at you as if you are food and they are starving. They look like they want to eat you and they don't want to share." His grip on me tightened and he stepped closer. "You are not a girl that deserves that kind of horrible attention." He pulled up on my hands and jaw, forcing me to stand on the very tips of my toes. "You deserve to be looked at like you're beautiful," his voice dropped down to almost a whisper.

I watched his eyes become almost half-lidded as his hot breath washed over my lips.

My own breathing increase as my heart rate sped up. "What are you doing to me?" I breathed.

He didn't answer. His head dipped so his breath now spread down my neck and collarbone, never breaking the connection between our eyes until I felt his fangs drag against my skin. I let my head fall back against the fridge and my eyes slide closed. My breath shuddered out of my lungs as Hiei's tongue smoothed over the bites he was leaving on my throat.

I had to ruin the moment when my teeth started chattering. The male left my neck and looked me in the face. The hand on my jaw moved to touch my forehead. "You're running a fever."

I shook my head. "Just cold. I'll have my ramen and head to bed." My hands were released and I was allowed to stand on my own.

Not that I could. My knees gave out and I collapsed on the ground, leaning against Hiei's legs for support. "Maybe I'm not okay," I grumbled as my vision swam. I was gently lifted off the ground and carried in to the bedroom. The fire demon placed me down on the futon that we had laid out this afternoon.

I fumbled with the buttons on my shirt. It seemed like l had lost the control in my fingers. Warm hands gently moved my hands out of the way to take care of the task themselves. My button-down blouse, tank-top, and jeans were removed before the fire demon helped me change in to a warm set of pajamas. I was then tucked in to the warm sheets, sitting up against the wall with a blanket wrapped around me. My blurry eyes watched Hiei as he disappeared in to the kitchen and retrieved the still-warm veggie ramen.

"Eat."

I managed to get down about half the noodles before I couldn't take anymore. I pushed them away and, still shivering, curled up under the blankets. "Why can't I get warm?" I whined. I was so cold.

With my eyes closed, I could only wonder what all of that rustling was. The room went dark and the blankets were lifted off of me temporarily before very warm skin was pressed against my back. An arm was wrapped my waist, pulling me even closer to the warm body. Our legs intertwined and his other arm became my pillow with his head on top of mine.

A small smile slipped out as the shivering finally died down.

"Thank you, my fire demon."

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated


	14. Dragon!

I blinked slowly as my mind slowly woke up. My eyesight was blurry and my head was pounding. I looked for the clock that was set up next to my bed. _One pm…_ I curled deeper in the bed, realizing that the man that had kept me warm all night was now gone. I sat up slowly, shaking white locks out of my eyes. "Hiei?" I called hoarsely. _Where did he go?_

I received my answer when a knock on my door sounded through the small apartment.

"C-coming!" I called. I scrambled for the charmed ring that was resting on top of the clock. Slipping the ring on, I wrapped a blanket tightly around my shoulders, hoping to quell off the shivers before they started back up. "Who is it?" I called again.

"It's Akemi! Taka-san wanted me to stop by."

I rubbed my eyes, hoping to look a little more awake. "Sorry, just woke up. Come in."

The door opened to see the dark-haired beauty with a concerned look on her face. "You sick, sweetheart?" She placed a cool hand on my forehead. "Dear, you're burning up! Come on, back to bed with you. You're not working tonight."

I simply nodded, shuffling back towards my still-warm bed as she busied herself with making some tea.

Red eyes watched me through the window. I froze.

They weren't Hiei's eyes.

But before I could even say anything, they were gone.

I shook my head. _It's the fever, making you see things…_

I curled up in the thick blankets, wanting for my head to stop pounding.

"Honey, before you go to sleep, drink this." Gentle hands helped me sit up momentarily to drink the hot tea laced with lemon and honey.

"Thank you," I mumbled, on the brink of falling back asleep.

"Shh, just go to sleep. I'll tell Taka-san that you're sick." She left and I heard the door shut quietly behind her.

Moments later, warm arms wrapped around my small frame. "You're burning up."

"Thank you," I grumbled. I rolled over in his arms, my face now buried in to his neck.

Something wasn't right. This wasn't Hiei.

I tried to scramble away from the unknown arms thrashing wildly. My arms were pinned above my head, my legs were pinned by his, and his free hand was slammed over my mouth.

_If he's human, I should still be able to get free… _I threw my body up and tried to kick my legs.

I couldn't move.

_It's him! It's the demon! Hiei!_ I screamed in my mind, hoping the mind reader was listening.

"The little demon? He's not coming. What happened your beautiful blue eyes?" Glowing eyes looked down at me as he uncovered my mouth.

I remained silent, glaring up at the man, knowing my eyes were light green with a thick ring of red.

He chuckled. "Come on, it's just me! Its just Ryuu." His face drew closer as an evil smirk tore his face in half. "Tell me, what does the name 'Ryuu' mean?"

My clouded eyes widened, now white overcoming all other emotion. "Dragon," I whispered. I fell completely still, frozen in the deadly demon's grasp. _Help… Dragon…_

The glowing eyes took a cat-like appearance. "No one is going to save you. So, tell me, who are you? What are you?"

I blinked a few times to see if the blurriness would go away.

The creepy male laughed. "You like the toxin? How are you feeling? You didn't even notice that I scratched you when you fell in to me last night."

"Y-you did this to me?" I coughed.

"Yes, my little demon. I did. Now, are you going to answer my questions?"

I glared up at him. "Miyuki, speed demon."

He grinned. "Well, I have a valuable find on my hands, don't I? But you don't look like one. What are you using to disguise yourself?"

"The r-ring."

He sat up on my legs, pulling my hands up to his face. "Very nice. What happens when I remove it?" He pulled the piece of jewelry off of my finger. My skin turned back to very pale and clear and my hair turned back to brilliant white. He smirked. "I like this look better. Much more exotic."

That was when we both seemed to fall through the floor.

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated


	15. Time to Get Better

We landed with a heavy thud on a cement floor. I yelled out in pain as the much-heavier dragon landed on top of me.

Claws dug in to my jaw, pulling me out from under him and picking me up from the floor. "What did you do?"

I grimaced. My grey and white eyes closed in pain, blocking out the room devoid of light.

When I didn't answer, he tossed me to the side where I landed in a heap and slid in to a wall. I lay still, the pain in my back aggravated by the curled up position. _What's going on?_ The sentence ran through my head over and over.

_{We're saving you.}_

I opened my eyes in shock before quickly closing them again. _Were did Koenma send us?_

_{A cell in Spirit World.}_

_So, how are you getting me out?_

_{In about two seconds.}_

I could hear the dragon across the room as I fell through the floor again through another portal. This time, the landing was much more comfortable. The fire demon's arms were warm and I could feel his body temperature rising through our clothing, helping to quell off the shivers that I was still feeling from whatever toxin the dragon had put in my system.

"Hello, Hiei," I murmured, resting my head against the male's shoulder.

"Hm."

I opened my eyes, the fever still making them blurry. "Where is everyone?"

"Trying to figure out what to do with the dragon."

"And where are we going?" I had just noticed that we were moving, the slight rocking of Hiei's steps.

"The hospital wing. We need to get you detoxed."

"How?"

"You've been freezing, right?"

"Mm."

"We'll sweat it out of you."

"Mm." I was falling back asleep. "You'll be there when I wake up, right?" I murmured.

He was silent for a moment as I was on the brink of falling asleep.

"I will."

I slipped away with a slight smile on my face.

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated


	16. Panic

"Do you really feel up to going to school?" Yusuke stood in the doorway of my room, leaning against the doorjamb, his arms crossed. "Your fever and shivers just broke yesterday," he pressed, his eyes expressing concern.

I tossed a small smile over my shoulder and adjusted my tie slightly before pulling on the red coat. "I've missed too much school this term. Unlike you, I enjoy learning." I laughed slightly, turning to exit the room. "Even if I learn so much more quickly than you ningens."

He stood up straight. "That's not fair! I'm half!"

"And I'm over two hundred years old."

He looked at me strangely.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought we were talking about things that didn't matter." I quickly walked out of the room, leaving the half-youkai to ponder what I had said.

"Hey! That's not nice!" He called after me.

I couldn't help but laugh as he chased after me down the stairs and in to the kitchen. Of course, I had to stop short, having slammed face-to-stomach with the fox demon. As I reeled backwards, working to keep my balance, a strong arm wrapped around my waist and the smell of roses filled my senses.

My eyes widened at the sudden closeness to both the floor and the fox demon.

He had managed to catch me inches before hitting the floor. Green eyes looked wide in shock as he used one hand to keep us off of the floor and the other wrapped tightly around me, pulling me to him.

"K-kurama?" I whispered, slightly uncomfortable with the proximity.

"Hey, you guys okay?" Yusuke asked. I could feel his and Kazuma's hands pulling the two of us in to a standing position.

"Hn."

I whipped my head around at the sound of a certain fire demon. "Hiei-"

I watched as his cold eyes glared at me as pulled on the red coat and headed out the door. Dual-colored eyes rested on the door as he walked away. I moved away from the fox demon and wrapped my arms around myself.

A hand grabbed my jaw pulling my face towards the staring eyes of the hanyou. "I don't remember that color being in the description. The dark blue is guilt, but what is the purple?"

I removed his hand. "Sad. I'm sad." My voice was quiet if I stared out after the man.

Three pairs of eyes moved back and forth from the door the demon had disappeared through and me.

It took me a second to realize that the three much taller boys had formed a small circle around me, leaving me no opening to escape.

"Okay, Mi, is there something going on between you and Hiei?" Yusuke asked.

"You two were alone, and unsupervised during the last mission," Kurama mused.

"And! He didn't leave your side while we were detoxing you," Kazuma added.

My shoulders shook slightly as my eyes burned with tears. I covered my face with my eyes as I dropped to my knees. "I don't know what to do," I whined, confused about what was going on.

Unbeknownst to me, the three males shared a panicked look over me. They didn't know how to deal with a crying girl, let alone when it was over guy trouble. That was when three voices rose together in one call:

"Botan!"

Bright blue hair appeared in the span of five seconds as she appeared from upstairs. "What's going on?" Pink eyes took in the scene in front of her. "What happened to Miyuki?"

Again, the three boys spoke together, "Hiei."

The river guide nodded in understanding before kneeling down in front of me. "What's going on?" she asked softly, pulling my hands away from my face, revealing bright violet eyes. She looked at the boys, not understanding the color.

"She's sad," Yusuke answered.

"What brought this on?"

Kurama sighed. "Yusuke and her were fooling around. After running in to me, I managed to catch her just before we hit the floor. Hiei saw and walked out."

Botan couldn't help but chuckle at the statement. "Mi, he's just jealous. He saw you being close to another guy and didn't like it. Did something happen during the mission?"

I closed my eyes as I nodded slowly, wiping away the tears that had formed paths down my cheeks. "He taught me how to do the work. And then after work…" My voice trailed off as I looked away from all of the staring eyes.

Again, a shocked look was shared over my head.

I was suddenly pulled off of the ground, my legs dangling a few feet off of the floor as Kazuma held me to look him in the eyes. "You had sex, didn't you?" He had this humongous grin on his face and an odd look in his eyes.

My cheeks burned as they flushed in embarrassment. "How could you think that? We haven't even- He's never-" I found it hard to string sentences together.

Yusuke ripped me from the larger man's grip, turning me to face him with out letting me on the floor. "One sentence at a time, Mi. You and Hiei haven't even…?"

The blush deepened. "We haven't even kissed."

I was then passed to Botan, still not on the ground. "He's never…?"

"He's never watched me dance. There are rules! There are traditions before choosing a mate! I couldn't- He wouldn't-"

"Spit it out!" Yusuke, Kazuma, and Botan yelled. Kurama simply shook his head at the trio.

My voice dropped lower as I stared down at the floor. "There is no way he could feel that way about me."

I was finally allowed to stand on my own as all four people around me did a simultaneous face-palm.

Kurama checked his watch. "We need to be leaving for class. I'm sure Hiei will meet us there." He reached in the kitchen and grabbed an apple off of the counter, tossing it me as I pulled on my shoes. "Let's go. See you after class," he called back to the others as we walked out the door.

The walk to school was quiet as I finished the apple and threw it away.

"So, what did happen between you and Hiei?"

The question seemed to come out of nowhere. Purple and blue eyes settled on the fox demon, as if hoping the question didn't have to be answered. When I saw the serious look on his face, I sighed. "He talked about how I didn't deserve to be treated the way those men treated me while I was on the job. He pinned me against the wall, and when I started to come down with that fever, he kept me warm all night." I blushed slightly as I remembered the feeling of his bare chest against my back and the warmth of his breath against my skin.

Green eyes searched my face for answers as we crossed on to the school grounds and in to the school.

"Minamino-san! Kousetsu-san!"

At the mention of our names (one real, the other fake) we turned around to face the Assistant Director of the school.

"The Director wants to see you immediately."

We looked at eachother, confused by this announcement, but headed to the office anyway.

The balding man looked over his desk as the two of us stood in front of it. "We've been hearing some things around the school. Some rumors that we don't like to hear."

Kurama remained silent, but looked confused. I took a cue and kept silent as well.

"We hear that there are both male and female students living in one roof, and that both of you, along with Jaganshi-san, are living there as well."

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

There was a short knock on the door before Hiei walked in. His eyes passed from Kurama and me, before standing in between us in front of the desk as well.

The Director nodded towards the male before addressing all of us. "Is there any validity to these rumors?"

_{Stay silent.}_ Hiei's voice ran through my mind.

I did as I was told and did not speak. Neither did either of the two boys.

The man glowered. "Okay, another rumor to address. Was Kousetsu-san's scars really caused by a car accident?"

Hiei's presence in my mind was enough to stay silent, though it was a comfort to know that he wasn't mad enough at me to want to avoid as many problems as possible. _{Make it look like you are remembering things you don't want to. The fox has an idea.}_

I remembered the true story behind the scars that marred my face and body. I closed my eyes tightly as they burned with tears. I wrapped my arms around myself to stop the shaking. This was not faking to just get out of trouble, this was real.

Everyone started moving at once. Hiei's arms wrapped around me and slowly lowered me to the floor. Kurama was digging in his schoolbag and pulled out a prescription bottle with small white pills, and the Director was on his feet, wondering what was wrong.

My hands gripped the red jacket the wrapped Hiei's frame, his scent calming my nerves. His hands pulled me against him, one around my waist and the other in my hair.

I heard the rattling of the pill bottle behind me. "We gave that story because we didn't want this happening. Miyuki had to go through something that no one should have to go through, and she paid a heavy price. Because of the incident, she will go in to anxiety attacks if she remembers. We spread the car accident rumor because we didn't want to have her breaking down on us." Kurama pulled one of my hands free of Hiei's jacket and placed two of the pills in the palm.

_{They are real anti-anxiety pills. We keep them since last time you broke down.}_ Hiei's grip loosened slightly to allow me to dry-swallow the pills. As soon as they were swallowed, I was pulled back in to the warm chest. His heart beat strong and the sound soothed my shot nerves. I closed my eyes again as the medicine began to work its magic. I didn't move from my position other than loosening my grip slightly as the medicine made me drowsy.

"Is this why you live together?" the Director asked in a shaky voice.

I felt Kurama pull one of my hands away from Hiei, two fingers taking my pulse. _{Thirty beats per minute.}_

_It'll drop lower. That medicine is putting me to sleep._

I could almost hear his mental chuckle. _{Should we just bring you home, then?}_

I nodded slightly, moving closer to the warm body.

"Those of us who live in the home, live there as almost a group home for those who have been through too much to handle. Our benefactor provides for us and helps us get back on our feet and return to a normal life. Miyuki is our newest edition."

Gentle and warm arms lifted me off of the floor, holding me close.

"I have to apologize. Miyuki is unable to finish today, so we will escort her home."

We were just about to head of out of the office before the Director signed our death warrant.

"Well, I'm planning a home visit this coming Sunday. I'll attend for lunch."

That woke me up.

_{We're screwed.}_

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated

Violet – Sad


	17. Finally!

They had caused quite a stir as the three left the building. Apparently, it's not often that a girl is carried out. Especially by the two most wanted men in the school.

The walk was cut short as the three demons, Hiei still carrying Miyuki, cut in to an alley and through a portal.

They appeared in the living room of our home. They were surprised to find everyone other than Keiko present.  
"Yusuke, Kuwabara? Didn't you have school?" Kurama questioned.  
The hanyou laughed. "Today was going to be boring. They are only reviewing for exams."

The redhead merely shook his head, not questioning the fact before moving to business. "We have a problem."

This caught everyone's attention.

"What's going on?" Kazuma asked.

"Our school director is making a house call." Hiei's gruff voice was lowered in order to make sure that the sleeping speed demon stayed asleep. He gently laid her on the couch and covered her up, making sure she would stay warm.

The males and females in the room noticed the kind gesture, but didn't speak of it. They would approach it when there wasn't something so dire at hand.

"So, what story are we following?" Yusuke asked, lacing his fingers together behind his head.

"We told the director that we were a group of teens that had been severely traumatized in one way or another. We have a benefactor, Koenma, that is helping us get back on our feet." Kurama did some hunting through the cabinets, looking for some tea for when Miyuki woke up. "We have Miyuki's story in place, but we need to come up with stories for the rest of us."

Botan sighed. "We should probably send those who have someplace else to go there. Yukina can go to Genkai's. Keiko should go back to her family. Kuwabara and Shiziru should head home to their parents. I can stay with Koenma. That would leave you, Yusuke, Hiei, Miyuki, and Atsuko. That's quite a few less stories you need to come up with. What are you using for Miyuki's story?"

"The true story, kidnap and rape."

Blue hair bobbed with her nod. "Staying close to the truth would be easier. For Hiei, we could use the story of his mother's family trying to kill him and father abandonment. Atsuko?"

"She's too old to play the part. Can we have her stay at Genkai's as well? I'm sure they would have plenty to complain about with Yusuke in common."  
Botan giggled as an angry outburst came from the said-delinquent. "What about you, Kurama?"

He looked thoughtful. "Well, I was thinking that I would be the exception. The benefactor would never trust a house to only a bunch of troubled teens, they would have to have someone that would be in control and know what was going on."

A smile broke out on her face. "I see where you're going with this. Nobody would believe that you would have a troubled past. We could play you have as Koenma's nephew, or something along those lines. Now, for Yusuke?"

"Alcoholic mother, didn't know what to do, resulted in stealing and gambling to survive, ended up hitting rock bottom."

Yusuke shrugged, "Close enough to the truth. Should be easier that way. Anything that we have to change about the house?"

Kurama thought about it. "Just make it like those involved with the ploy are the only ones involved here. We'll have to disguise the portal room. Anything else?"

Botan looked over those who were involved. "Anyone on medications for what is going on?"

Kurama looked thoughtful. "He knows Miyuki is on anti-anxiety medication. We just have to make sure he doesn't figure out the actual dosage. Is there anything for anti-anger?" he asked.

Botan was confused. "Why can they find out the dosage?"

"Her metabolism is too fast to take a normal dosage. She takes over ten times someone the size of Kuwabara would take."

She nodded in understanding. "They don't make anything really for anger management. So, you'll have to rely on techniques. Can you do that?"

"Of course."

The fire demon then blocked out the chattering of the details of the plan. He turned his attention to the sleeping demon next to him. She was curled up against his leg, fingers curled tightly in to the fabric.

He didn't know what was going on. When he saw the girl in the arms of the fox demon this morning, he couldn't help but feel angry. He didn't want to see or hear anything having to do with Miyuki and another male. But he felt the opposite when he saw that she was in pain. He wanted to do anything to ease it. He wanted to make sure that nothing would ever harm her again. He knew that she would always be haunted by what had happened with Jin. He wanted to be able to replace those nightmares with memories that she wanted to remember.

He gently brushed some stray hair from her face, causing her to stir slightly.

Blurry eyes opened slowly. I didn't want to be awake yet. I simply wanted to curl up against whatever warmth was beside me.

_{Are you awake?}_

I squinted my eyes closed. _No…_

Hiei chuckled slightly before standing.

I tried to open my eyes, wondering where my personal heater had gone. "Hiei," I whined softly.

"Have your tea and you can go back to sleep," Kurama said, now right in front of me. I was pulled gently in to a sitting position and a warm mug of green tea was pushed in to my hands.

"I may have over-estimated the dosage you need," the fox demon mused. He tried to make me open my eyes completely, causing me to grumble and push his hands away. "I think you need a little less of the component that's making you falling asleep. The anti-anxiety meds seem to be enough."

"Did you give me ningen medication?" I mumbled, placing the empty mug on the table.

"Yes, just upped the dosage."  
I curled back up in to the couch. "My metabolism will take anything in quickly, and burn anything quickly, but after-effects last for awhile. Don't ever give me sleeping meds. I will not wake up for at least twenty-four hours." My voice had died to a low mumble. "If you ask me, try and remove anything that will make me sleep."

"With the anti-anxiety, I can't. It's made to lower your heart rate-"

"Then keep expecting me to want to sleep it off." I choked off a yawn. "Good night."

Two warm arms scooped me off of the couch, blanket and all. "If you're going to sleep, at least do it where you're at least not going to get woken up again," the gruff voice of the fire demon spoke up.

I didn't say anything until we passed in to the cool shadow of my room. "Why is it so cold in this world?" I grumbled, curling more in to the chest of the male.

He didn't respond, but simply helped me curl under the warm covers.

I heard the footsteps start to retreat, and for some reason, this scared me. I sat bolt upright, suddenly wide-awake. "Don't-" I shut my mouth. I didn't have any reason to make him stay with me. He wouldn't care that I wouldn't be dreaming, but suffering from nightmares, like every time this happened to me. He wouldn't care that I only felt really safe when I was in his arms.

"Of course I care."

His words surprised me. I hadn't even felt him in my mind. _Guess that shows how drowsy I am._

"If I didn't care, then I wouldn't know that you tend to get cold when you sleep. I wouldn't know that you tend to murmur in your sleep when you have nightmares." He was moving closer as he spoke. By the end of those sentences, he was sitting beside me on the bed. "I wouldn't know that I drive you crazy," his voice had dropped lower, both in tone and in volume.

"Hiei," I gasped out, reaching for him unconsciously. I gently touched the sides of his face, drawing him closer to me. His warmth felt good against my cold hands and the heat from his body radiated when he moved so he was sitting as close as he could.

Crimson eyes darkened slightly as a calloused hand gently brushed against my cheek. "Pink," he muttered.

I was confused at his words. "What is?"

He cracked a slight smirk. "Your cheeks." He drew closer and I could feel his breath brush over the flushed skin. "Your eyes." His voice had dropped even lower.

My tired eyes widened as I thought of what that meant. The blush became even more vibrant. "L-love," I stuttered. My hands slid farther back on his head, sliding through soft hair and over the bandana he always wore.

The smirk grew the slightest bit. "If I didn't care, I wouldn't know that you loved me."

The feeling that I had been begging for since we were together in the apartment was finally fulfilled as hot lips were pressed against mine. His hand slid back to support my neck as he slowly leaned me back against the headboard of the bed.

This kiss, the feeling of his lips against mine, was ten times better than the false kiss we had shared while I was in Jin's hands. Needless to say, I liked this one a lot more.

His free hand wrapped around my waist, pulling our bodies flush. I tightened my hold on him one hand moving down to touch the back of his neck as he gently bit my lip to claim access.

I knew that he wanted to be rougher. I could feel it in his grip. But he was holding back for my sake. He didn't want to scare me. This made me smile in the kiss with a small giggle.

This caused him to pull away in confusion.

My sleepy eyes rested on his confused as I felt his influence in my mind. I shifted slightly to wrap my arms tightly around his shoulders. "Stay with me?" I asked quietly, hoping he wouldn't pull away.

I grew scared when he did. I reached one hand out towards him, silently begging him to stay. Pink and white eyes pleaded to not be left alone to face the nightmares. I was surprised when he simply shut and locked the door, blocking out the outside world.

"Don't worry, I'm not leaving." His gaze softened as he pulled off his uniform. "Are you planning on sleeping in that, though?"

I looked down at the rumpled uniform that I was still in. I disappeared in the blink of an eye to my dresser, than to the attached half-bath. I appeared again dressed in an over-sized t-shirt, and not much else (my usual pajamas). I found him stripped down to his boxers, and I couldn't help but blush brightly at the sight. But watching him, I found that he wasn't doing much better. His eyes scanned up and down my figure, the legs exposed to the upper thigh and one shoulder completely exposed due to the fabric slipping off. This also made it obvious to the fact that there was no bra-strap showing.

"Much better," the male spoke under his breath, appearing in front of me before wrapping his arms tightly around my waist, heading towards the full-size bed.

I gave him a sleepy smile through the blush as we got comfortable beneath the covers. "Get some sleep. We have to move some people out tomorrow."

I murmured some intelligible syllables as I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated

Violet – Sad


	18. Visitation

"What do you want me to get next?" I hollered up the stairs. Not getting an answer, I shook my head, feeling the weight of the high ponytail swing back and forth. A quick dash up the stairs revealed why no answer. The boys were gone through the portal, and not around for the moment.

I glanced around Keiko's room. Only the large furniture and color remained on the walls. It looked like no one had ever lived here. I sighed softly, pulling down the hem of my dark grey shirt once again as it rode up to show my belly button. The soft jean shorts made no noise as I headed in to Yukina's room, checking the progress there.

It was Saturday after school, and the Director would be here at eleven-tomorrow morning.

I tightened the ponytail as I walked through the open door in to the ice apparition's room. "Hello, Hiei," I murmured, a faint color flushing through my face at the sight of the demon.

Ever since last night, I couldn't look at him without blushing.

The male's eyes dropped lower on my body, making me realize that the shirt had ridden up again, exposing the flesh of my stomach. The blush deepened, as I pulled it lower, causing him to chuckle. He went back to carefully folding the koorime's clothing. I watched how well he treated the fabric.

I tilted my head slightly in confusion. "Is there something between you and Yukina?" I asked.

Crimson eyes landed on sapphire, empty of emotion.

I blushed vibrantly, tucking a strand of loose hair behind my ear. "W-well, you two have the same eyes, and you treat her so well." My voice dropped in volume, hoping I didn't get the demon mad.

"She's my twin sister," he said softly, placing the kimono in the box. "She doesn't know, and I don't want her to know. She's not allowed to know."

I nodded quickly, knowing I couldn't betray his trust. I turned my eyes to the ground.

"Hey, why are you two hiding in here alone?" An arm was slung around my shoulders as the hanyou entered the room.

Hiei gave them a dry look. "Yukina's room is the only one left, you idiots." He was telling the truth.

"The portal room is all set, disguised as a closet," Kurama mused, going over a mental list. "Miyuki's medication is in the cabinet, all of the rooms are emptied, I've talked to Koenma about making a stop by to 'check up' on us; anything I'm forgetting?"

I shook my head.

"I have one question, what are we doing while we have our visitor?" Yusuke asked, standing up straight and crossing his arms.

"Well, we have to prove that everyone needs to be here. So, that means we need to send Miyuki in to another fit. Yusuke and Hiei, I'm sure you can stir up some anger issues."

The hanyou let out a big grin. "I know exactly what to do."

* * *

I dashed up the stairs from the training room, having heard the knock sound through the then empty living room. I opened the door, revealing both the Director and the Assistant Director. "Good morning, sirs," I greeted with a smile, opening the door further to let the two in.

Eyebrows furrowed as they walked in. They could hear the yelling and music, but they couldn't tell where it was coming from.

I stuffed my hands in the pockets of my hoodie, large enough to almost conceal the training shorts I was wearing underneath. "I apologize for the noise. We are in the middle of some sparring right now. You are welcome to come and observe." I turned my back on the two men, knowing they would be following close behind me. I pulled open the basement door, the noises becoming louder as we continued down the well-lit stairs.

The room opened up to expose the expansive training equipment, looking like a mini gym. Across the room, stood a low wall for bystanders to stand by, watching the sunken-in training ring. Right at the moment, Yusuke and Hiei were going at it as Kurama kept a watchful eye on the two.

At the sound of steps coming down the stairs, Kurama looked up. "Good timing, Miyuki. You're up as soon as someone hits the floor. You might want to start stretching," he called approaching my motley crew of three. "Hello, Director, Assistant Director. We're just doing some light sparring. You are welcome to watch."

I left the three to chat as I moved to an open area of the gym, just to the side of the arena. I had a feeling that I would be facing Yusuke, knowing they planned on me having an attack. I watched as they threw punches and kicks, usually managing to block (they were going at a normal ningen's ability level), as I stretched out my muscles.

_{You don't usually watch when we spar.}_

I shook my head. _I don't usually spar._

_{It will be good practice for you. It's been a while since you were in a fight, as mediocre as this one will be.}_

The fire demon held up a hand in surrender, causing the hanyou to stop short.

"Come on! You're giving up already?" Yusuke taunted.

"Winded. That shot to the gut got me," Hiei faked a few coughs for good measure. I smirked slightly, knowing it was hidden in my hair as I bent forward over my leg, reaching past my foot to stretch my hamstrings.

The male sat down beside me, watching my body flex. "Do you need help?"

I shook my head, moving to sit in a flat straddle. "Actually, can you push down on my shoulders? I have another centimeter to go until I'm flat."

Warm hands moved to put enough weight so I was flat against the ground, feeling the muscles stretch just a bit farther.

"Thanks," I murmured. _I should have him help me more often. It will go faster that way._

"What is Jaganshi-san doing to Kousetsu-san?" I heard the Assistant Director's voice pitch higher as his eyes took in the scene.

"Miyuki has been dancing since she was little. Hiei helps her to regain the flexibility she once had," Kurama explained.

"Oi! Mi! You ready to go?" Yusuke's voice came from the center of the ring. He quirked an eyebrow, knowing the question had multiple meanings.

"Coming." I was allowed to stand up, pulling off my sweatshirt revealing the racer back work out shirt. The dark scars were seen as they raced across my left shoulder before they disappeared under the fabric and while still hiding those on my right side, the marks moving slightly as I stretched out the muscles in my shoulders.

I could feel the two ningen's eyes on the scars, fascinated by the story they had. They seemed to know better than to bring it up.

"My uncle and I encourage them to spar, to release the pent up anger and emotions. It's what got Miyuki able to be around men again, as well." The three observers moved to the half-wall to watch as I approached the ring where Yusuke waited.

A new song flowed from the overhead speakers. I threw a smirk at the fire youkai as "I Will Not Bow" by the American band Breaking Benjamin blasted.

"Now the dark begins to rise, save your breath, it's far from over," I sang quietly as Yusuke helped me wrap my fists with tape, his already done. "All is lost again, but I'm not giving in!"

We were in our spots and as the chorus rang through the room, we launched at eachother, making sure to keep in our minds that we had to act like normal ningens.

"I will not bow, I will not break, I will shut the world away," I sang as I back flipped away from the barrage of punches.

The song changed as I landed.

"All that I'm living for, all that I'm dying for, all that I can ignore alone at night," Amy Lee's voice sang as I shot a hitch kick in to Yusuke's chin.

"It's not like they are fighting at all. It's like she's dancing," one of the older gentlemen spoke up.

I could see Kurama nod out of the corner of my eye. "One of the reasons we play the music during the fights. Her reactions follow whatever music she's listening to."

"I could have run forever, but how far will I have come without mourning your love," I sang softly, flipping away after nailing the male with a spinning high kick. As I came to rest, I had my feet knocked out from under me by a sweep kick, causing me to land flat on my back.

_{Now,} _Hiei's voice rang through both of our heads.

That was when Yusuke's weight pinned me to the floor. One leg pinned underneath him while he had one leg trapped high enough that I wasn't able to lift it high enough to release the hold. His hands had mine pinned to either side of my head.

For half a second, I saw the shadow demon above me and I closed my eyes to hide the colors as the panic set it.

I wrestled desperately in the hanyou's grip. I could feel eyes on me as I started screaming at Yukio to let me go, that I would be good, that I wouldn't disobey again.

One set of hands let me go as two more moved in to restrain me. But I was thrashing too hard for Hiei to get a good grip and Kurama to force the medication down my throat.

"Wrap your arms around her," Hiei's voice growled. _{Onna, calm down. This one is worse than last time.}_

The scent of roses filled my senses as long arms wrapped around me from behind, pulling me in to a much larger body.

Hiei's warm hands grabbed my jaw, holding it tightly to make sure I wouldn't bite him as he put his next plan in to action. His lips sealed tightly on mine, as he forced water and the anti-anxiety pills down my throat. I had to swallow if I didn't want to choke, and I forced the pills down.

I was passed from one set of arms to the other as my thrashing started to die down. Smoldering firewood was a strong scent around me as I slowly quieted, the medicine working its wonders. I rested my head on Hiei's chest, right over his heart, the sound working just well at calming my breathing down. Kurama's hand gently wrapped around my wrist, taking the pulse.

_{Twenty-eight beats per minute.}_

My blue eyes finally opened, looking sleepy and drained, but otherwise fine.

"Are her attacks usually that bad?" the Assistant Director asked, looking a little shaken from the whole ordeal.

Kurama nodded. "Yes, and we're not always sure what is going to set it off. Some days, she can talk about it even. Others, any mention throws her in to a fit. And, like you saw, certain things set her off without any warning. We all have to keep an eye out for it."

Kurama must have altered the dosage slightly, for I didn't fall straight asleep. I was still shaky as both Yusuke and Hiei helped me to get to my feet, ready to catch if I was falling.

This action caught the Directors' eyes.

"They seem quite attached to the girl," the Assistant Director spoke.

Kurama couldn't help but smile slightly. "She's had a big impact on the two boys since she arrived here. It has calmed their anger some, having someone to care about, the way they do." The fox demon leaned against the wall, watching the two males jump forward to try and catch the female as she fell backwards, landing flat on her back with a giggle. "They've had to deal with their pain a lot longer than she had, but she's surprising. She looks at the world and sees it for all of its possibilities, not seeing it for the harm it can cause."

The Directors seemed to take this to heart.

"Where are the parents of the three of them?" the Director asked, watching the two males interact with the girl, as she caused the taller boy to laugh loudly at something she said.

"Urameshi Yusuke's mother basically abandoned him on the street. He was forced to scrounge for himself to survive. I found him on the brink of never being able to return," a new voice joined in.

The three males turned around to find whom Kurama knew as Koenma. The spirit was dressed in a finely tailored suit and had ditched the pacifier. Covering the tattoo on his forehead was a simple white bandana.

"Sorry I'm late. I'm Kiyoshi, the guardian of these four," he spoke, going in to a short bow.

Kurama cracked a smile. "Glad you could make it, Uncle."

"Jaganshi Hiei was abandoned by his father, not know what to do, his mother's family tried to kill him at a very young age. He's been with me the longest," 'Kiyoshi' continued with his story. "Kousetsu Miyuki, without her, the boys wouldn't have come as far as they have. Her parents passed away when she was young, leaving her to fend for herself. I found her after she had been kidnapped, abused, and left out to die. She's come the farthest, I believe."

"Uncle!" I called, laying my eyes on Koenma. I hurried up the stairs and wrapped my arms around the guy's middle.

The spirit laughed. "Hello to you too." His hands rested on my shoulders, holding me away from so he could look down at me. "You want to go start lunch for us? I need to talk to the guys for a quick second."

I raised my hand in a mock salute. "Yes, sir! Fruit salad and veggie wraps, coming right up!"

"Aw! Mi! The veggies again?" the hanyou complained, coming up to join us on the ground level.

I shook my head. "I'll set up a sandwich bar, does that work? I'm not giving up my fruit salad though," I finished with a giggle, winking a blue and yellow eye at the males before heading up the stairs, grabbing my hoodie with my IPod in the pocket.

Kurama crossed his arms. "What's going on?"

"How is Miyuki adjusting?" Koenma asked, truly wondering.

Yusuke shrugged. "She seems to be having more attacks lately. I know it's only been a few weeks, but I feel like they should be fewer, not more."

Hiei nodded slightly in agreement. "We're having a harder time getting the medicine in to her as well. She doesn't want to have to rely on it, I know. She wants to find an alternate method."

Kurama and Koenma nodded.

The two teachers watched in silence, absorbing the scene in front of them.

The Director seemed to remember something. "Kousetsu-san and Jaganshi-san seem extremely close. After the two attacks that I've seen, she goes to him and tends to relax even faster. Could there be something there that could help her stay off of the pills completely?"

All of the males looked at the fire demon that simply replied with a shrug before heading upstairs.

The sharp knife sliced through the watermelon easily as I danced to the Latin beat coming through my headphones. The musical talents of Push Play and their song "Midnight Romeo" really made me want to dance. I dropped the red fruit in to the bowl as I sang, "My lips touch your lips, my hands on your hips~, What's it gonna take for you to give me my good night kiss?" I performed a little spin, having fun as I kept myself busy.

I was caught as two hands caught my waist, bringing me against a warm body. I gave the fire demon a grin as I continued to sing, "My heart is beating fast but my hands are moving slow, feels so right that you can say no."

Hiei's grip loosened slightly allowing me to dance in his arms. My hips twisted as I moved to the Latin beat. My yellow eyes meet his crimson, finding a smirk plastered on his lips.

His hand pulled one of the earphones out of my ear placing it in his own.

"Show me yours and I'll show you mine," I murmured as I moved so my back was against the male. "Gonna make you sweat, gonna feel it head to toe."

I loved the sultry-ness of Latin dancing. You were supposed to make it look like you were about to make love to your dance partner at any moment. You had to convey that emotion that you were madly, deeply in love, and would do anything to have that person. It helped though when your partner knew the moves and wasn't just standing there, but I couldn't help but dance anyway.

I looped my arms over my head and around his neck. "Best of both worlds is when you get in my place, place, place with me. You'll be the lock, I'll be the key-"

I was suddenly turned around, looking in to the crimson eyes above me. "I think you have that phrase wrong," he murmured. His grip tightened on my waist, possessive as he pulled me against his warm body.

"But that's what the song says," I whispered, placing my hands on his chest.

"Think about what this song is about."

It took me a second before I flushed, continuing the lyrics. "Now it's time, I'll turn the lights down low, show me yours and I'll show you mine-"

I was cut off again, this time as a searing kiss was placed on my lips, causing my mind to throw out any thought that didn't have to do with the fire demon.

He pulled away, staying a breath away. "Don't tempt me."

I giggled, pulling away as I went back to cutting up fruit. The knife was removed from my hands as I came quite close to loosing a finger.

"I'll take care of cutting everything. You take care of anything else." He shook his head at me as I simply moved to the fridge and pulled out the cold cuts and veggies out, placing them on the serving bar beside the long table.

It wasn't even seconds after the table had been set and the food placed out when the rest of the boys walked in to the dining room.

"Hey, Mi. Uncle wants you to do some more sparring after lunch," Yusuke spoke up, globbing a big chunk of mustard on his chicken sandwich.

I nodded, "Alright," biting in to my veggie wrap. "Anything in particular?" I asked, swallowing my daily vitamins.

"Hiei's going to work on your flexibility with you, and we want to see if you fare better against him."

"Thank you for lunch. It was delicious," the Assistant Director said as he and the Director readied themselves for leaving.

"Safe travels!" I called from the kitchen where I was doing dishes.

The door shut behind them and I placed the last dish to dry.

"Ready to go?" The three boys looked at me, Koenma having left as well.

"Let's go."

* * *

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated

Violet – Sad


	19. A Big Decision

"Are you sure about this?" Yusuke placed the two chairs a decent distance apart.

I nodded, bending in to a lunge. "I used to be able to do it, I'm wondering if I still can." I stood again before folding in to a backbend, pushing if further so that I was on my knees and elbows. "I was almost a contortionist, and I want that ability back." I smiled slightly, "And I'm thinking I want to join the dance team at our school."

Crimson eyes followed my form. I knew he wouldn't leave me alone during the practice hours at school, which meant he was going to be stuck watching.

I flushed slightly at the thought, remembering what I had told Kurama, Yusuke, Kazuma, and Botan about a male watching a female dance, as I flipped my legs back over my head so I was in an elbow stand.

"Am I straight?" I asked the fire demon. I felt his hand on my calf, gently pushing me to the right to make me perfectly straight. I slowly lifted myself in to a handstand, purposely going slow to make my muscles work harder.

I could feel the hanyou's eyes watching me as I got myself back in to the rhythm I was used to. "Is dance really such a big part of your culture?" he asked.

I moved my weight to be only on one hand, shifting my body weight down and to the side until I was parallel to the ground, my elbow bent in to my side to provide stability. "The female's dance is everything. It is how we express our emotions, how we regain our power from the moon," I blushed slightly then, "As well as how we tell males that we are available for mating, as well as dancing with said males through out courtship, if there is any. They do say that mating is the most primal of dances." I pushed myself up from the parallel position in to a cartwheel, ending up back on my feet.

Yusuke couldn't help the smirk that crossed his lips as he looked between the short members of the team. "So, the possible mate, how does he choose his female? If I remember correctly, the male leaves as soon as the dirty deed is done."

I nodded, placing one heel on one of the short stools. "Have you ever seen Latin dancing? You can practically smell the lust coming off of the two partners when it is done correctly. The female gives off a scent that attracts the male. The male then joins the dance, showing the female that he is strong enough to be her partner. The males of our race don't, typically, dance." I placed my hands on the floor, lifting my other leg so the heel sat on the other stool. With a deep breath I pushed myself up so I was in a straddle across the two seats. "Can you make sure I don't fall off when I do this?"

The two males each stood by a foot.

I shifted my weight again, moving so now I was in a split across the two stools. I smiled as I slowly bent forward, pulling the muscles tighter as I reached to touch the floor on either side of my leg. Palms touched the ground firmly as I pushed myself back up in to an upright position.

What I was going to do next could really hurt. "Hiei, can you hold on to my foot?"

I could feel him in my mind as I felt his hands wrap tightly around the ankle that was behind me. His grip tightened when he saw what I was about to attempt.

I bent backwards along my leg, reaching to grab the fire demons hands. I soon felt my calf touch the back of my shoulders and my hands land on his warm ones. I looked up at him and stuck my tongue out, having proved to him that I really could do it. I moved back in to an upright position before rotating my hips again so I was now facing Hiei. I went through the same motions, leaning forward and backward to push myself as far as I could.

But to call it a relief when I was helped off of the stools would be an understatement. I curled my legs to my chest, allowing the muscles to relax. Tonight, I would be sitting in a hot bath for a while.

"Okay, ready to fight?" Yusuke asked, his hands already wrapped in tape. The earlier fights had bored him and his was rearing to go full out.  
I couldn't help but laugh at his eager expression. "Yeah, let me get up. Hiei, would you mind?" I asked, tilting my head slightly as I looked back at the fire demon.

He shrugged heading to the stereo system, plugging in my IPod, Rihanna's "Pon De Replay" blasting through the speakers.

I smiled slightly, rocking my hips back and forth to the beat before launching a spinning high kick at Yusuke's head, launching myself off of the floor with a twist.

I hissed slightly as I pulled myself out of the still scalding hot bath, scarred flesh twitching slightly at the sudden chill.

Let's just say, Yusuke gave me a beating in that match, and my muscles screaming at me for pushing them so hard.

* * *

As I dried my waist-length hair, I remembered what tomorrow was. _Full moon, means I need to pull out the dress…_ My mind slid from that to the topic they had been talking about earlier. "Do I think of him that way?" I asked myself out loud, thinking yet again about the fire demon that had been plaguing my thoughts. _I want to be around him. I feel safe with him._ I growled inwardly. _I wish I knew something or someone that could just tell me what was going on._

A cool breeze blew through the room and against my bare skin as the door opened. My white eyes met startled crimson as Hiei walked through the door I had forgotten to lock.

I freaked, needless to say. As fast as I could, I pulled the towel around my naked body. But the speed and strength used proved to be too much for the old towel, causing it to rip straight in half, covering up even less. My cheeks turned bright red, not meeting the male in the eye as I managed to cover up my front, but not much else, leaving the scars that made me so self-conscious that I hadn't allowed anyone to see them, open for him to see. My eyes stung with unshed tears as others coursed down my cheeks. _Don't ridicule, I know they are horrible, don't say anything about them._

I tensed as I felt his body heat draw nearer, the door shutting quietly with a click, blocking out the rest of the sleeping household. Feeling something draw close to me, I took an involuntary step backwards.

A growl ripped through the male's throat, causing me to open my eyes as an arm wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling me against an extremely warm body. "Don't run away from me," the fire demon murmured in to my hair.

I tensed even more though when I felt fingertips run over the scars on my right shoulder. The same hand gently moved my hair out of my face, leaving the scars on the left side exposed. I closed my eyes out of fear as Hiei softly press his lips to the first scar, starting on my temple.

"I'm not going to hurt you." His voice was just as soft as his touches as he whispered against my skin.

His other hand slid across my back, his body moving out of the way enough to trace the scars that raced around my side, ending at my navel. I shuddered at the shivers that raced down my spine, my breath coming a little faster as my heart began to speed up at the gentle touches.

"Why?" I breathed, not trusting my voice. "Aren't I disgusting, being scarred like this?" I broke the embrace, stepping backwards until I tripped over the lip of the standing shower, landing hard against the wall. I looked up the male, tears flowing faster. "I'm not beautiful like this. I'm horrid." I began sobbing softly, feeling slight relief at the idea of getting these ideas out of my head. They had been plaguing me since the marks had appeared on my skin. If I wasn't beautiful, he would never like me the way I like him.

I jumped when the shower turned on, cold water pouring down my body. I shivered, not bothering to move as it turned downright freezing.

Warm arms gathered me to an even warmer body as Hiei joined me under the cold shower. I rested my head on his heart, my nerves slowly calming down as his fingers gently traced the scars over my shoulder, ending just over my heart.

"Why?" I asked, my hands clutching his now drenched shirt.

He was silent for a second, making me sit up in his lap, not even caring as the wet towel fell away and settled in to my lap. My white eyes watched his, looking for the answers I was searching for.

His hand gently rested on my left cheek. My eyes slowly turned back to blue as they became half-lidded. "It hurts to see you in pain." His voice was confused, but calm. His hand slid to the back of my head, pulling me in for a hot kiss, his lips on fire against my cold ones.

I rested my hands on his chest, inwardly thanking the gods that he was a fire demon. Without his warmth, the shivers would have been a lot worse.

Our positions switched as he rolled, placing me against the wall as his body now blocked the cold water, steam rising as it hit his overheated skin. I watched in fascination as his skin was revealed to me as he removed his shirt. I couldn't help but whine softly, missing the warmth of his skin against mine. "Hiei." My voice came out almost as a breath.

The male froze, something primal filling his gaze before he pulled me farther up the wall, lips clashing as he kneeled in front of me, pressed against my now bare body, the towel laying forgotten in the corner. "You're teasing," he growled, his nails digging in to the flesh of my sides. I hissed softly, feeling pleasure in the pain as I threaded my fingers through his wet hair.

That was when I got my reality check, feeling something hard pressed against my thigh. My white eyes opened wide as I pushed him away, making sure not to let him go in the process. "W-we need to stop," I murmured, staring at the ground. This wasn't right. We couldn't ignore thousands of years of traditions. And I couldn't bare the thought of him leaving right after.

He must have been in my head, because he pulled my head up to look him in the eye. "If it means that much to you, I'll go with you tomorrow."

* * *

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated

Violet – Sad


	20. The First Time

I watched as the sun slowly set, knowing that I would have to get dressed soon. Leaning against the railing, I couldn't help but think through what was going to happen tonight. Tomorrow morning, Hiei wouldn't be around anymore, not after the mating process. It was tradition. The males never stuck around, often not even waiting until morning to leave the female alone. I sighed, blinking back tears that were begging to be shed. I didn't want him to leave. I cared about Hiei too much. I loved the man.

"Don't leave," I whispered to the horizon, almost begging the sun not to set. I wanted to stay with the male.

"Miyuki, is everything okay?"

I looked up at the sound of the fox demon's voice, surprised I hadn't sensed him walk on to the balcony. I shrugged, turning back to look at the sunset. I could feel the male's eyes on me, knowing that there was something that I wasn't telling him.

"What's going on between you and Hiei?" He leaned against the railing beside me.

White and purple eyes widened as the fox picked the right topic. I closed my eyes, and shook my head, tilting it forward to allow my bangs to fall in to my face.

He gently pulled my shoulder, making me turn toward him. "Is there something between you and Hiei?" he asked, changing it to a yes or no question.

I shook my head slowly, before switching to a nod as tears stung my closed eyes.

Green eyes narrowed slightly as he bent at the waist to look me in the eye. "Is he going with you tonight?"

It took a few seconds, but I slowly nodded again, the tears starting to flow.

"Do you want this to happen?"

White and purple eyes slowly opened. I gave another slow nod.

"Then what are you afraid of?"

I sniffed slightly before whispering, "I don't want him to leave."

Kurama laughed lightly, standing straight again. I looked at him in hurt and confusion. "Miyuki, he is not a speed demon. Why do males and females live separated on the island?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Because we couldn't get along. Too many fights broke out."

"Do you and Hiei fight?"

I shook my head slightly, slowly realizing that that meant. "So, he's not going to leave?" I asked, hopeful.

Kurama smiled slightly. "No, he won't."

The color of my eyes did a one-eighty, flipping from white and purple to a bright yellow. I wrapped my arms around the fox's waist, hugging him in thanks. Pulling away, I smiled. "I've got to get ready." I dashed in to the bathroom, leaving a swinging clothes hanger where the dress had been.

* * *

The moon was rising over the dew-soaked meadow, casting a ghost-like glow over everything.

The fire demon was watching for now. It wasn't time yet. He watched his speed demon dance, her skin seeming to take the same glow from the moon that had given her life.

But he couldn't help but notice the subtle changes between this dance and the last one he had seen all those months ago. While that one had been more ballet, this one was more of the Latin dancing Miyuki had been so fond of lately. He watched the way her hips moved to the song the moon was giving her to dance to. He stared as she gracefully propelled herself in to the air, almost folding in to a perfect circle. The chains of fireflies fluttered, casting a golden glow that was becoming more present.

I paused in my dance, blue eyes meeting red. I knew that the scent was starting to permeate the air. I gave him a small smile before performing a tight spin. I came to a stop with my arms locked over his shoulders and one leg hooked over his hip. "Hiei," I breathed, the colors of my eyes shifting.

He gave a quick smirk before sliding back, dragging my legs in to a half-split. I couldn't help but laugh as he lifted me clear off the ground in a spin before dipping me back over his arm.

We danced and danced as the moon rose over us. It felt like hours before we fell beside eachother in the grass of the meadow. I lay flat on my back, staring up at those crimson eyes. He sat almost upright over me, one arm on the opposite side of my body to hold him up.

"Do we have to go to the caves?" he asked, his voice almost growl it was so low.

I shook my head. "Who's going to interrupt?"

He gave me a smirk before his lips descended on mine.

I threaded my hands through his hair as our lips crashed together. His hands pulled my body flush against him, almost as if he was trying to turn two bodies in to one.

One of his hands slipped from my back, moving to the knots that held my top and skirt on. It wasn't even seconds before cold air brushed against bare skin. The cool breeze caused me to shiver, pulling the fire demon closer against me, hoping he would share that warmth he never seemed to run out of. He broke off the kiss with a short chuckle before shifting his body to cover more of mine.

This caused me to realize that our positions in this were not fair at all. I was only in panties while he was still fully dressed. I frowned slightly at this, pulling at his shirt, trying to free it from being tucked in. With a smirk, he sat up on my hips and pulled off. This gave me a chance to remove the untied top from my shoulders and reveal plenty of bare skin to the fire demon. Our eyes meeting during the action, I couldn't help but notice the color darken with lust as our positions changed.

He was now sitting with me straddling his lap. I couldn't help a small smirk as I quickly pressed my lips back on to his. My arms draped around his shoulders as his nails dug in to my bare sides, pulling a hiss of pleasure from the back of my throat.

He gave another chuckle. "Like that?"

I gave a small whine as he pulled his body away from mine, causing me to miss the warmth. "Hiei." I pulled at his shoulder, my own nails digging in to his back.

He growled in his throat, pushing me down so I was laid out in front of him. "No touching until I tell you." His hands grasped my wrists, forcing them to lie beside my head.

I whined again, wanting to feel the contact of bare skin meeting. "Hiei!"  
He chuckled, before leaning forward to lay soft kisses on my eyelids. "Close your eyes. Don't open them."

I did as I was told, twisting my fingers in to the long grass.

His lips moved from my eyes to the scars that decorated my face. I couldn't help but wince slightly, still not comfortable with the scars. One of his hands released mine before resting on my right cheek. "You're beautiful," he whispered, his lips and tongue making pathways along my skin that followed the scars. As he followed the one up from my throat to my ear, I could feel the sharp feeling of his fangs dragging against my skin. I gasped softly, arching my neck to give him more room. I felt his tongue play with the hoops in my ear, biting gently on the lobe.

"Hiei," I whined, "No teasing." My hands weaved further in to grass.

He chuckled against my flesh and I felt the scratching of his fangs on my neck, shoulder, then finally across the mounds of flesh that had been begging for his touch.

I could help but let out a gasp at the feeling of him taking a hardened nub in between his teeth.

He didn't stop there, not for long anyway. He followed the scars from my shoulder to my heart. How the flesh had become so sensitive to his touch, I'll never know. Especially when he switched to the scars on my stomach.

My back arched slightly under him, begging for him to stop teasing.

I felt his fangs drag against my lower stomach and I felt cold air brush against my core as my final piece of clothing was ripped away.

I shuddered as chills went up my spine. It was hard to believe that this was really happening. The man I love. Just the two of us.

I broke a rule, both of them actually. I sat up, opening my eyes to see him as I pulled him up for a searing kiss.

I felt him chuckle in the kiss, pushing me back in to the grass.

_{Impatient, much?}_

My hands went to start pulling at his belts as the kiss turned deeper. _You're the one that's taking so long._

One of his hands moved to help me remove the belts, the other holding him up. As soon as they were undone, I used my feet to push his pants and boxers down in one go. He lay on top of me, heated skin meeting super-heated skin causing me to whine for more.

He chuckled. "I guess I could." He nudged my knees apart, settling in between my legs, his erection pressing against my entrance.

"Hiei, please," I pleaded, my hands reaching for him and pulling on his shoulders.

He slammed in to me and started at a slow but deep pace. I groaned at the feeling.

Our skin met with a slap again and again as his rhythm sped up. Soft moans and purrs of his name fell from my lips as the feeling I had been craving was finally being fulfilled. I raised my hips to match his thrusts, begging for that release.

"Mine." The growl ripped from the male's throat as he scraped his fangs along the junction of my neck and shoulder. His nails dug in to the back of my hips, causing me to arch my back in pleasure.

"Hiei!" I cried out, feeling the beginnings of my release wash over me. I dug my nails in to his shoulder as I felt his fangs sink in to my neck, marking me as his forever more. His name passed over my lips one more time as I came, the muscles of my core tightening around him.

"Mine," he snarled one more time before he had his own release. We stayed like that for a few minutes, trying to regain our breath before Hiei slid to the side, pulling himself out but pulling me to him.

I was more than happy to curl in to his warm chest, my eyes sliding shut as I fell in to a light doze.

I did remember what Kurama told me about Hiei not leaving, but I was still on edge. Needless to say, I jumped a mile when Hiei started to move. "No!" I cried out, wrapping my arms tightly around him, afraid to let go. Silent tears coursed down my face, praying that Kurama was right.

The male was shocked at the outburst. I felt his presence in my mind as I held him even tighter, my head resting over his heart. I could hear the beating, the sound soothing me slightly.

His arms wrapped around me, holding me to him. "I'm not leaving. I promise," he whispered in my hair.

I relaxed at his words, merely holding him now, instead of clinging to him for dear life. I felt like he was my life. I never wanted to lose him.

I felt his fingers gently touch the bite mark that now decorated my neck. "This means I'm never going to leave. You're mine, and no one else's."

I nodded against his skin, feeling better now.

"We do have to get back," he said, moving to stand up and gather our clothing.

I grumbled, not happy to be getting up. I simply wanted to rest. I looked up as the moon was fading in to the sky. It always caused me to be tired, feeling the disconnection after dancing beneath it all night. I felt cut off from my life energy, and just wanted to sleep.

I felt warm hands on my hips and fabric against my legs as Hiei decided to help dress me, seeing as I wasn't doing it for myself. I laughed softly, taking the top that was thrown over his shoulder and sliding it back on, tying the wraps tightly to make sure everything was hidden away.

As he stood, I gently hugged him again, this time as a thank you. A thank you for not following tradition. "I guess tradition isn't all that. I think I like it when the male sticks around," I murmured as I pulled away from the warm body.

He laughed softly as the portal appeared in front of us. "Let's go home."

* * *

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated

Violet – Sad


	21. Dancing

I fell in the bed, dressed far more comfortably in the oversized t-shirt. I stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling, trying to force my eyes to stay open to wait for him. I wanted to sleep, but I knew he did too. I settled for curling in to his pillow, burying myself in his scent.

It was hard to believe I could claim him as mine, and he would claim me as his. I couldn't stop the smile that played across my lips. He was my life and now, there was no reason to let him go. He promised he wouldn't.

I sat up slightly when I heard the door open, revealing the object of my thoughts, shirtless with a towel draped over his shoulder. For some reason, I couldn't help but lick at my lips.

A smirk pulled at his lips, his eyes darkening slightly.

I gave him a tired smile before I cracked a yawn.

Hiei's expression changed as he climbed in to the bed beside me. "Sleep," he murmured, pulling me against his warm chest.

I gave a sleepy mumble as I rested my head over his heart, the steady beat providing me with it's own lullaby.

I felt him stiffen slightly, before relaxing. It took me a second to realize why. What I had mumbled. I had said "I love you". I pulled away from him slightly, biting my lip in nervousness. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it. I'll-" His hands pulled me back against him, making me curl back in to his chest. The rhythm of his heart changed, going faster now. "Are you okay?" I asked softly.

"Hn. Just go to sleep."

I nodded slightly, curling up further against his body, glad for the warmth. It didn't take long for me to slip in to dreamland.

There was very little chance of the fire demon falling asleep now. The blush still burned across his cheeks, caused by the speed demon's words.

_She loves me? The one who is not supposed to know love?_

Hiei drew the sleeping girl closer to him, burying his nose in her hair, absorbing her scent.

_Do I love her?_

The question ran through his mind, over and over and around in circles. He wanted to have her around. He wanted to make sure she was safe at all times. He wanted to be there for her, and help her when she needed it. Did all of this constitute loving the female?

He was startled slightly, feeling her move against him in her sleep. Her face was buried in to his chest, arms pulled tight in between them while their legs were entangled together. Her skin was cool against his, but it was refreshing, in a way. She was always looking to him for warmth, her body still not used to the lower temperatures of Ningenkai. He looked forward to hearing her voice and watching the way her body moved when she danced. He looked forward to feeling his skin against hers, and seeing the way she smiled. He liked the feeling he received when she smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his waist, too short to reach any higher without trying. He had claimed her as his and he wanted to protect her from any other male.

He liked all of that, but did he love her?

He sighed softly, closing his eyes as he tried to banish all thoughts on the subject and get some sleep. He would figure it out later.

* * *

"Hiei! Have you seen Miyuki? She's not in her room!"

A loud voice and banging on the door sounded through the room as Yusuke called for the fire demon.

I grumbled, burying my face in to the crook of the male's neck, hoping if we ignored the hanyou, he would go away.

No such luck.

"Hiei!"

A growl ripped through the mentioned male's throat. "She's sleeping. Go away." Silence fell from the hallway and another growl issued from Hiei's throat. "Open that door and you'll find yourself missing something dear, Detective."

"We were planning on going out tonight, and was hoping that Mi would join us."

I grumbled, merely planning on going back to sleep. "Whatever, just go away."

I heard a whoop of victory from the hallway. "Okay. We leave in three hours. Enjoy your nap." His footsteps faded away.

I grumbled something about annoying hanyous that needed to die as I curled back in to Hiei, glad for his warmth. "What's the matter?" I mumbled, noticing that he wasn't relaxed, but still slightly sitting up. When he didn't answer, I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "You okay?" I wasn't ready to be awake yet, but if something was off with my mate, I was going to figure out what. "Tell me." I leaned against his shoulder, gently kissing the skin on his collarbone. When he still didn't answer, I sighed. I moved so I was kneeling in front of him. That was when I noticed he was still glaring at the door. I furrowed my brow as my eye color shifted to orange. "Hiei?" I asked, softly. Now I was wide-awake. What was wrong?

It took a second for him to react, his gaze softening as it landed on me. "It's nothing."

My eyes narrowed. "Liar," I countered simply.

"It what he wants to do tonight. He wants to go… dancing."

If I wasn't awake then, I was now. "Really?" I couldn't get the excited tone out of my voice.

He shook his head, confusing me. "It's not like the kind of dancing that you do. It's the kind of dancing that I taught you."

My face flushed bright red as I remembered. "I have to dance with strangers again?" I didn't want to.

"No. If we go, you'll only be dancing with me." Sapphire met ruby with a look that I couldn't place.

"You don't want to go?" I asked quietly, actually wanting to go. I wanted to see what it would be like to dance with Hiei.

He looked almost torn.

"Why?"

"Because people won't look at you like you're a girl. They will look at you how they looked at you when you worked for Taka."

I nodded. "But will you look at me like that?"

He stared at me for a second, as if wondering what I was thinking. As if to answer that, I felt his presence in my mind.

I blushed slightly. "I don't care how other people look at me. I only care how you look at me. I don't want you to look at me that way. I want you to look at me like you are looking at me right now. Like you care about me." I met his eyes, a small smile dancing on my lips.

Drifting through my thoughts, my fingers gently moving to touch the scars on my face. Other people wouldn't want to look at me anyway.

His hand slipped under mine, gently brushing against my scars and resting against my cheek. "I will never look at you in that way," he declared softly. His other hand came up and threaded through my hair, pulling me for a soft kiss. My hands moved to hold myself up, resting on his thighs so I could be tall enough to kiss him. His hands moved to my waist, pulling me forward so I was straddling his lap. This allowed me to move my hands to move to his neck, feeling his pulse through my fingertips.

I broke the kiss due to having to stifle a yawn. "Sorry," I muttered.

He sighed softly, pulling the two of us to lie down. "Sleep," he ordered, his voice soft.

I nodded. "Only for two more hours. I want to go tonight." I hid my face in the crook of his neck and shoulder, moving against him, glad for his warmth. "Good night."

He hugged me tightly to him, his scent filling my senses. "Good night."

* * *

I ran the brush through my waist-length hair before pulling it up in to a high-ponytail.

I smiled as I looked at my reflection, pulling a few strands of hair to frame my face. I turned away from the mirror to pull on the shoes that would complete the outfit Kayko and Botan had pulled out for me. A bright blue strapless mini-dress was belted around my waist, giving me an "hourglass figure", they had called it. I adjusted the ends of the skin-tight leggings, making sure they hit my ankles. The strappy stiletto heels gave me another five centimeters, putting me at 145 centimeters.

A hand appeared in my line of vision. "The females wanted me to give this to you," Hiei said.

Blinking, I noticed a beaded necklace clasped in the male's hand, the black and silver beads sparkling slightly. "Thank you," I said, taking the jewelry from him and wrapping the long necklace twice around my neck, the longer loop still hanging to the belt at my waist. I stood up, heading to my dresser to pick out some earrings.

"Which ones do you think?"

The fire demon came up behind me, resting his head on my shoulder and his hands on my hips. "I think I like you dressed like this," was his answer, his mouth then busying itself with my ear and neck.

I giggled softly, picking out a pair of hoops, a pair of dangling stars, and a matching pair of star studs. In my two cartilage piercings (both in my left ear), I stuck in diamond studs. "Should I get another piercing?" I asked, absent-mindedly as I slipped the metal through flesh. "It's safer in the human world than on the island."

Hiei chuckled against my flesh. "Maybe not in your ears, but you could get piercings in other places."

I felt the smirk against my skin. "Like where?" I asked, my voice becoming breathy.

"I'm sure you can use your imagination." His voice was changing as well, become deeper and husky. His fangs dragged across the scars on my shoulder.

A shiver coursed down my spine and I turned in his grasp, taking in what he was wearing.

Tight-fitting black jeans hugged his legs while a red button-up and black muscle shirt underneath showed off his upper body.

"I have to say, you don't look half bad." I licked at my lips unconsciously, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Maybe we should pierce your ear instead of my body. What do you say?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Why?"

I shrugged. "I think you could work it." I moved to stand further on my toes than the heels made me. My tongue dragged against the sensitive skin behind his ear, causing his nails to dig in to my sides. My fang gently bit in to the lobe of his ear, pulling on it slightly. "What do you think? It would be easy."

He chuckled slightly. "We'll talk about it later. The girls are coming to get you."

I rolled my eyes, moving away from the male just before my door flew open.

"Miyuki! We need to do your make-up! Hi, Hiei." Botan was a whirlwind of energy as she and Kayko pulled out brushes and powders.

I glared at the objects in their hands. The first time I had ever worn make-up was when I worked for Taka-san, and I didn't like wearing it. It stuck to my skin and made me feel dirty.

Hiei smirked, crossing his arms as he watched his mate. It was hard to believe how good she looked in that outfit. The dress clung to her curves and the leggings were like a second skin.

He watched as the females tortured his speed demon, knowing she was not happy about having make-up put on. But according to what was going in the females' heads, they didn't 'make her shade', so his mate didn't have to worry about that.

He noticed something then. Botan was pulling a small ring from the pocket of her skinny jeans.

"This will hide your scars. Koenma's been working on it for you."

The look on her face was beautiful, the giant smile making it's way to her eyes as she hugged the Grim Reaper and pulled on the ring.

The dark scars that had become part of his onna disappeared, the white skin becoming solid and unmarked as the ring worked it's magic.

He almost missed the marks, if he had to say it. They attested to the strength of her will and how hard she had worked to come as far as she had. But he also knew that the memories of Yukio and Jin were tied to those scars, acting as a constant reminder of the pain she had gone through.

He watched her as she watched her reflection in the mirror, now that the other females had left to finish getting ready.

It was amazing. I looked just like I used to. I couldn't stop smiling, even with seeing the dark make-up on my eyes. I couldn't help but touch where I knew the scars were.

That's when I saw Hiei's expression through the reflection. He didn't look upset, exactly, but he didn't look happy. I turned to my mate. "What's the matter?"

He simply uncrossed his arms, but that was all the invite I needed. I wrapped my arms around him, watching his gaze carefully as his arms wrapped around my waist. "What's the matter?" I asked again.

One hand moved to brush over my left cheek. "They're gone," he answered simply.

I smiled brightly at him. "I know! Isn't it great?" My smile faded after a moment of him not answering. "You don't like it?" I asked softly.

"It's different. I find myself missing them," his voice was soft as well.

I backed away from him. "You like the scars?" I asked as I pulled out of his grasp.

A growl tore through his throat, his hands grabbing my hips and pulling me back to him. "Don't run away from me," he grumbled.

I winced slightly, flinching away from him.

His glare and grip softened at that. He gently gathered me against him, hugging me tightly. "The scars have become so much a part of you, it's… odd to see you without them."

I nodded against his shoulder, wrapping my arms around him to return the hug. As my hands were behind his back, I pulled off the ring, exposing the dark scars that raced across my face and shoulder.

Warm hands moved me away from him just enough that he could press his lips against the marks, his teeth and tongue making trails along the dark flesh. My nails dug in to his shoulders, my heart rate sped up as his temperature spiked through our clothing. I slipped my hands underneath the unbuttoned shirt, removing it from his body as his mouth moved to my neck, the bites and kisses getting harsher. His shirt fell in to a heap at our feet as the two of us tumbled on to the bed. He grabbed my hips, pulling them in to his as my legs hooked him in, making sure the heels didn't press in to his back. I gave a soft groan as he bit down on my collarbone, my nails digging in to his bare shoulders again.

"Hey, you guys ready to- Whoa!"

The two of us froze as we turned to look at the door, revealing that Yusuke and Kuwabara were there with their jaws hitting the floor.

Hiei's warmth disappeared as he appeared standing at the foot of the bed. I sat up and tightened my ponytail, standing up as well as I pulled my clothing back in to place. I picked up Hiei's shirt at my feet and tossed it to him. "Are you ready to go?" I asked the two ningens in the doorway as I grabbed my trench coat from my closet and Hiei and I headed to the door, slipping the ring back on.

This seemed to pull them out of their stupor. "Yeah, let's go."

So we headed out in to the dark for a night on the town.

* * *

"This is so wicked!" I had to call out over the music so Kayko could hear me.

Strobe lights and multi-colored flashing lights spun across the dance floor, which wasn't quite yet full. It was hard to believe all of the energy that was flowing through the room.

We paid our entrance fee and Hiei, Botan, and I received the bands that said we were old enough to drink.

I pulled Hiei directly towards the dance floor. "Please?" I begged when he resisted, "I want to go dance."

He shook his head slightly, "Let's get a booth to ourselves, then we can go dance."

I nodded, casting a glance at the dance floor before following him to the table the others had claimed.

We dropped our jackets and then I continued to pull Hiei toward the dance floor. "Come on! You made me promise to only dance with you, so you need to dance!"

He relented. Finally! His arms turned me around, pulling my back against his chest, our hips grinding together to the techno beat. I tried to remember some of the lessons that I remembered from working under Taka. As I felt his body relax against mine and his hands try to pull me even closer, I could tell it was working. I rested my hands on his thighs, proving effective when hot lips descended on my neck, fangs dragging against the skin. My nails dug through the cloth, a growl of my own slipping through my throat.

My voice joined Lady GaGa's as it blasted through the speaker, "I wanna kiss you, but if I do I might miss you babe, it's complicated and stupid, got my ass squeezed by Sexy Cupid, guess he wants to play, wants to play, a love game, a love game." I pressed against him, grinding in time with the beat. He was keeping up with me, which it made it more fun. "Let's play a love game, play a love game," I sang as I looped my arms around his neck.

It was intoxicating, being surrounded by so many people, the scents of lust and sweat permeating the air. I'm sure Hiei could feel it as well as his hand gripped my hip harder, the other following the line of my arm as it wrapped around his neck.

I turned around in his arms, moving so one of his legs was in between mine, keeping the close contact of our hips. "I can see you staring there from across the block, with a smile on your mouth and a hand on your- Huh! The story of us always starts the same, with a boy and a girl and a Huh! And a game, and a game, a love game!" It was hard to keep a straight mind with that look in Hiei's eyes. I'm sure that my eyes matched his, showing a color that they haven't seen before. A bright lavender ring circled my pupil as I licked at my lips. It was hard to believe that his body could feel so good against mine as he pulled me even closer, hands possessively on my hips.

We didn't move away from eachother as the song ended, unable to break the stare. Only when cheers erupted from around us did we break out of our stupor. Our eyes were dragged to some ningen jumping around on the stage with a microphone, screaming random nonsense that was amplified many times over by the speakers everywhere.

"Hey everyone! We've got a new contest starting tonight. 'So You Think You Can Dance? Club Version'! Do we have anyone that wants to give it a whirl?" The man kept jumping up and down, hoping to get everyone hyped up.

Some very scantily clad girl hopped up on stage with a lot of cheering, the song "Cyclone" by Baby Bash blowing through the speakers. I couldn't help but hide my face in Hiei's shoulder, not wanting to watch what was a very bad interpretation of a stripper's dance.

The same song was used for the next few contestants, but none could do much better. The man on stage was trying to be supportive, but he didn't want to lie and say they were good. He was starting to look a little desperate.

"She'll go!"

I jumped at the loud voice right beside me. Looking up, Yusuke was pointing down at me, bringing my presence to the attention of everyone else.

"Yusuke! What are you doing?" I hissed, pulling the hanyou down to my level.

He gave a grin. "We saw you dance under Taka, and it was pretty good. You should show off." With that said, he pushed me in the direction of the stage.

My red eyes glaring back at him, my long white hair swayed with each step as I climbed the stairs up the stage. "Can I at least request a different song?" I asked as politely as I could as my eyes faded back to blue.

"Sorry, sweetheart, we have to keep it fair," the male said, as he scooted off of the stage.

I sighed, taking my place in the center of the stage with my back to the audience as the music started. My hands slowly dragged themselves down my body, gradually moving so that I was bending, shifting my hips so that you couldn't see straight up my dress. My hands hit the floor, before I slowly started to roll back up to a standing position. I twisted my hips, spinning in a tight circle to face the audience.

My eyes locked on Hiei, a smirk plastered on his lips as he stood watching with his arms crossed. I gave him a quick smile, making sure he knew that this dance was for him and not for the audience to grade.

As the lyrics started up, I really started to dance, pulling moves from Akemi's and the other girl's dances, through in a few of my Latin moves that Hiei seemed to find enchanting. I ended the dance in similar position as I started in, my weight shifted one side, looking over my shoulder at the audience, my hands tangled in my now loose hair. My gaze was locked with Hiei's, and the predatory look in his eyes sent shivers down my spine. I couldn't help but lick at my lips as the music ended.

The room erupted in catcalls and cheers. The host of the show hopped back up on stage with a whoop. "Have to say, sweetheart, those were some pretty good moves." His arm looped around my shoulders, pulling me in to his chest.

My eyes flashed red and white, the motion being unwanted. I pushed him away. "Thanks," I responded.

He gave me a grin, before turning to the crowd. "Can we have all of our contestants up here?"

One by one, the girls filed up and formed a line, each wearing less clothing than the last.

"So, who was the best? One, Two, Three, Four, Five, or Six?" A hand hovered over each of our heads as he numbered us. I ended up being number six.

There was a flurry of random yells and screams that made it hard to distinguish what was being yelled.

"Whoa! Whoa!" The male yelled through the mic, trying to get the crowd to calm down. "Okay, we'll do this number by number. Number one!"

There was a smattering of calls and cries.

"Number two!"

There was one section of the crowd that was loud. Had to be a group of her friends.

"Number three!"

There were more calls than one and two.

"Number four!"

A few calls.

"Number five!"

There were actually quite a few calls.

"And finally, number six!"

You would have thought that the place was exploding. Cheers erupted from the crowd, most especially from my group of friends. I met Hiei's eyes, glad that he wasn't yelling like everyone else. He simply gave me a nod. I gave him a smile. The cheers didn't mean anything to me. His approval was all that I wanted.

An arm hooked around my shoulders again, causing red and white eyes to glare at the man.

He took no notice. "Her prize tonight, for her and her date, free drinks!"

I gave a cheer, quickly getting away from the male. As soon as I was down the stairs, I was bombarded with questions and people touching me. My eyes turned white, trying to get away from the guys surrounding me.

I was surprised when I was gathered in to warm arms and against a familiar chest. The colors in my eyes switched from white to blue and pink. "Thank you, Hiei."  
With his head on my shoulder, he gave a harsh glare to those who had chosen to try and pick me up. They backed up, apologizing.

I gave a short giggle, pulling my hair back up in to the high ponytail. "I'm ready for a drink. You?"

"I think so."

"Come on!" I pulled on his hand, heading through the crowd towards the seats at the bar. Only one was open, but Hiei allowed me to sit and he stood behind me, helping to keep away any unwanted intruders. "Excuse me!" I called to the bartender when he had a second.

"What's up, doll? What can I get you?"

I smiled. "I was wondering what your specialty was."

He gave me a grin in return. "I make a mean Sex on the Beach."

"I'll have one of those, and whatever he wants." I gestured toward Hiei.

"Tequila shot." His hot breath washed over my neck, causing shivers to work down my spine.

I gave him an odd look. "Hard liquor?" I asked.

He simply gave me a smirk. "You'd never be able to handle it."

I frowned, turning back to the bartender as he placed down our drinks. "Can I have a tequila shot, as well, please?"

He chuckled. "Coming right up."

Okay, so Hiei can hold his liquor better than I can. He's had twice as much as me and isn't even wobbly. I wasn't having problems staying on my feet, my reflexes still high enough to compensate, but I wasn't being shy anymore. I was pulling out all of the stops on the dance floor, a lot of my routine from working under Taka was being shown in front of the crowd.

But you didn't see Hiei being unhappy about it. He had a huge smirk plastered on his face as he and I ground our hips together. Amethyst and ruby were locked in a stare, lust coursing through our system.

A hand tapped on my shoulder, and I whipped my head around to look at Kayko, not dropping a beat in my dance.

"Can you teach me?"

I raised an eyebrow at the ningen. "Teach you what?" Hiei bit down on my neck, causing me to let out a small gasp.

"I want Yusuke to look at me like that."

I gave her a grin. "Does he know how to dance?"

She shook her head. "Of course not. I want him to want to dance with me."

I gave her a wink, "Watch and learn, sweetheart." I moved so my back was against Hiei, his hands automatically moving to grab my hips. "Use the beat of the music to determine how fast you circle your hips." I gave a quick demo as I moved in larger circles against his hips, making sure to keep the beat. "Move slower while you're away from him, it makes them want to keep the connection." I moved my hands up over my head and tangled them in Hiei's hair, leaning back against him. "Use your hands, they're not just there for decoration. But don't be afraid if he returns the favor." As if to encourage my point, Hiei's hand slid from my hip, running from my inner thigh all the way up my side.

He growled as he made me turn in his arms, now facing me.

"Some guys find it hotter if you look at them when you dance. It's easier if you keep your legs intertwined. It allows you to get closer and creates friction between your bodies." Hiei's hands gripped my hips, pulling my body flush against his. "Keep the beat with your hips. If he gets the hint, he'll move with you. Does this help?" I asked, having a hard time dragging my eyes from Hiei's.

"Yes. Thank you!" She disappeared through the crowd looking for her date.

_Thank you for helping me._ I crushed my lips to Hiei's, never stopping the rhythm of my hips, pulling him along with me.

I felt the pierce of his nails on my sides in response, the kiss becoming harsher and hotter. _{I think we need to go someplace tonight.}_

My hands gripped the back of his neck, fingers threading through his hair. _Sounds like a smart idea._

I broke apart the kiss as the need for air arose, not moving away from him though, our breath mingling a hair's width away from our lips.

"To our left," the fire demon breathed.

I broke our stare down to look towards the detective. Him and his girl were doing pretty well for having never done it before. You could see the lust in his eyes as he pulled Kayko's hips in to his.

I couldn't help but smile. _Glad it's working out for them._ I looked back at the male holding on to me, and couldn't help but lick at my lips at the look he had. "I need something to drink," I whispered, slipping out of the male's grip before he noticed. I couldn't help but giggle at the expression on his face.

Too bad we had school in the morning.

* * *

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated

Violet – Sad


	22. Another Attack

I yawned, the scars on my face stretching. I glanced across the room where Hiei and Kurama were lab partners. The teacher was running late, so I crossed my arms, making them a pillow for my head.

"Miyuki-san, you shouldn't sleep." A hand shook my shoulder.

"Setsuna-kun," I grumbled, pushing the male's hand away as I sat up, rubbing at my eyes.

"Good morning, class!"

We moved to sit up straight as the teacher walked in to the classroom, pushing a cart full of supplies for today's lab. We didn't know what was going to happen, but he said we would enjoy it.

"Today, we'll be doing some blood typing."

I froze, my eyes wide. Glancing to the other side of the room, Hiei and Kurama were in the same boat. _This isn't good._ Unlike the other two demons in the class, I didn't have the same blood they did. Mine was blue.

"That is so cool!" Setsuna whispered, "I've always wanted to do this." He looked so excited.

I kept glancing at my teammates, hoping they could come up with a way out of this. They glanced back at me, and I could feel a presence in my mind, but no answers came.

_What are we going to do?_ I asked. Then an idea popped in to my head and I raised my hand to get the rambling teacher's attention. "Sensei, I don't think I can do this. I'm afraid of blood," I pleaded, hoping I would be able to leave.

"Don't worry, Kousetsu-san, there isn't that much blood involved. Just don't look when Setsuna-san takes yours."

I slumped in my seat, running out of possibilities short of disappearing out of the classroom, which I couldn't do.

It took me a second to realize that Setsuna had already set up our equipment. I was brought out of my thoughts by a hand wrapping around my wrist. "We'll do yours first and get it over with."

I had a flash of a picture of someone with the same size hands. His eyes seemed to turn gold for a second. I pulled at my hand, my breathing and heart rate speeding up. He didn't let go. He grabbed my other hand. "Don't worry," he said softly.

I could see a twisted grin.

He pulled me towards him, being gentle, but his grip was tight. "You're safe."

"No!" The scream tore through my throat as I fought to get away from him. The classroom fell silent except for the yells I was throwing at Setsuna. "No! Yukio! Stop!" I couldn't get him to let go, he merely held on tighter.

A voice in my head was yelling at me to calm down, but I shook my head, not listening. I had to get away from the shadow demon.

"Kousetsu-san! What is the meaning of this?" Sensei had come up behind me. He held on to my shoulders, trying to push back down in to my seat.

I whipped my head around and only saw a wolf demon, trying to hold me down for Yukio. "No! Leave me alone! I won't do it again!" I screeched.

"Somebody get the Director!" Sensei yelled, pushing harder to get me to stay in my seat.

"Get away from her!" a familiar voice said. _{Onna, your eyes. Calm down.}_

"Jaganshi-san, go back to your seat," Sensei snapped. He switched tactics then, trying to wrap his arms around me.

"I'm sorry!" I screamed, trying to get out of the grip of the wolf, trying to remove my hands from Yukio's. "I won't do it again!"

"Where's the Director?" Sensei yelled, his grip getting tighter around me.

I screamed louder, the words not making sense anymore as tears streamed down my face. White eyes were tightly closed to block out the sight of the demons that haunted me.

_{Onna! You need to calm down! They're not letting us get to you! Kurama does not have your pills!}_ Hiei's voice rang through my head.

But I could not listen to reason anymore, I needed to get away from them.

A third pair of hands pulled at my legs, making sure I couldn't kick out at the person still holding my hands.

"Sensei, please! Let us take her!" Kurama pleaded with the teacher.

"Minamino-san! Jaganshi-san! Go back to your seats!" Sensei roared, resorting to pulling me out of my seat. I found myself pinned to the floor, my head being pushed in to the tiles. A set of hands pinned my legs, trying to cut down on the thrashing.

"What's going on in here?" a voice yelled from the doorway.

If I had been paying attention, I would have seen a crowd had gathered to see what was going on. The Director and Assistant Director had pushed themselves to the front of the crowd.

Taking in the scene, the Director pulled the teacher off of me. "Hane-san! Let her go!"

"But, Director-san-"

"Let her go! Jaganshi-san! Minamino-san!"

As soon as I was released, I was gathered up in to familiar arms. The male ignored the fact that I was struggling viciously against him "Onna, calm down." Hiei's voice was softer than it had been in my head.

"Miyuki, deep breaths," Kurama coached, gently but firmly, holding my hands in his, two fingers pressed to my wrist to take my pulse.

_{You're over two hundred. Calm down.}_ My wide eyes stared at Kurama, finally seeing who I was supposed to see. I stopped struggling against my friends, resting my head against Hiei's shoulder as my breath came in gasps, my heart racing. I watched as Kurama's green eyes flicked toward Hiei. _{I'm going to cover your eyes, okay?}_ A warm hand gently rested over my eyes, the white irises hidden away from the world now.

My head rested over Hiei's heart, my body twisting so I was across his lap, the beat strong, steady, and a lot slower than mine. I closed my eyes behind Hiei's hand, focusing on trying to make my heart and lungs work at the same rate as his.

"There you go," Kurama said softly. I felt his hand gently touch my cheek in support.

_{Almost there, relax.}_ Hiei removed his hand from my eyes, moving to wrap it around my back, supporting it as the other slipped under my knees, lifting me up from the floor. "We'll take her to the infirmary." His voice was soft, as if not to scare me again.

I gripped his jacket, tears still falling slowly from closed eyes.

The crowd parted around us, Kurama leading the way as we headed to the infirmary. Faces peeked out of the doors of classrooms as we headed down the hall, wondering what all of the fuss was about.

I relaxed against my mate's chest, the scent filling my senses as I managed to get my heart rate back down to below forty and my breathing stable. "I'm sorry," I whispered, the tears still falling.

Hiei's grip tightened. Kurama's hand gently landed on my head. "At least we didn't blow your cover," he said softly, a gentle smile in place.

I didn't have the heart to return it, content with the gentle rocking motion of being in my mate's arms.

I was gently sat on a bed in the infirmary, bangs being brushed out of my eyes to make sure they turned back to the normal blue. They were, but had a thick ring of dark purple around the edge.

"As long as you are safe," the fire demon murmured, sitting down next to me and drawing me in to his embrace, the only place I wanted to be right now. My head rested on his heart, eyes sliding closed.

"Hey! Shuichi! I brought what you asked me to." The hanyou clad in his green jumpsuit walked in to the infirmary. "It was pretty easy getting in here. You would think they would be more aware of what was going on."

"Thank you, Yusuke. But she doesn't need them now." Kurama took the bottle of pills Yusuke offered, stowing them in his pocket. He sighed softly, looking out the window over my cot. "We might have to pull her out of school. It's too risky," he said softly.

"What? Why?" I sat bolt upright, almost pulling myself out of Hiei's arms. "I like going to school. I've learned so much!"

"We'll talk to Koenma about it."

Yusuke dug his hands in to his pockets. "We could transfer her to the same school as Kuwabara and me. The two of us can take care of her. Or we can send her to Kayko's all girl school."

Hiei pulled me back against his chest, locking his arms around my waist as the door to the infirmary opened again, Hane-sensei and the Director walking in.

Sensei sputtered at the sight of Yusuke. "Who are you and how did you get in?"

"Relax, Hane-san. He lives with the others," the Director soothed the frazzled man, before looking at the four of us. "We have to tell the teachers. We can't afford to have it happen again."

I winced at his tone while Kurama nodded.

Yusuke sighed and sat at the end of the bed, his hand patting my knee. "Don't worry, Mi. We'll take care of this."

I nodded before shifting in Hiei's grasp, my temple resting on his collarbone. My hands gripped his jacket tightly.

"Sensei, the story of Miyuki being in a car crash is completely false."

The man narrowed his eyes. "Then why the scars?"

I closed my eyes, knowing that this could send me in to another attack.

"Wait, Minamino-san. We should tell all of the Senseis at once. It would be easier for Kousetsu-san to bare, I believe," the Director interrupted.

I sighed softly in relief, my grip loosening on Hiei's clothing.

"Do you think you could have Kiyoshi-san come in to help us discuss our options?" the Director approached.

"I'll give him a call," Yusuke said, standing up and heading out of the room to use his communicator.

"The four of you can stay here, and we'll come get you at the end of the day," the Director instructed. "This is the last class of the day, anyway."

"Yes, sir," I answered softly, finally opening my eyes to look up at the man.

With a nod, the Director and Sensei headed out of the room and back to the class.

"This is going to be all over the school," Kurama said sadly, sitting down on the other bed, facing Hiei and me.

I nodded, shifting so I was now lying down, using Hiei as my pillow. "So tired," I murmured.

"At least we know we can calm you down if we don't have the medication," Kurama mused.

He and Hiei quietly discussed my options as I slipped in to a not very restful doze.

"What is this meeting about?" Ryoki-sensei asked, crossing his arms as he leaned against a table. "I have students needing me for help with the chemistry final."

"I apologize, Ryoki-san," the Director answered, "This will be over shortly."

Hiei, Kurama, and Yusuke stood on either side of me, the fire demon's hand holding on to mine. I glanced up at him, glad for the touch seeing as I was on edge.

"The story you know of what happened to Kousetsu Miyuki is not true. She was not in a car accident," Kurama started.

"Then what about her scars?" one of the female senseis asked. I didn't know her name.

I gripped Hiei's hand tightly.

"What happened was that Miyuki was kidnapped, tortured, and raped." Kurama's voice left no room for questions. But of course, they didn't get the hint.

"Is that why she was screaming at Setsuna-san, calling him 'Yukio'?" Hane-sensei asked.

"Yes." Kurama nodded. "She is now afraid of blood, and cannot have a male she doesn't trust grabbing her. Our guardian could explain it better but he was unable to make this meeting."

"Is it safe to have her in school then?" Fumiko-sensei asked, playing with the end of her ponytail. "From what Hane-san said, the attacks are pretty bad."

Kurama nodded in agreement. "That is what we are here to discuss. If we cannot make this place safe for her without staying in reason, we will pull her out. We are discussing the idea of sending her to an all girl school, but we don't want her to face ridicule because of the after effects of the event."

With out thinking, I gently touched the scars on my face.

"Are the scars that bad?"

Kurama looked at me, the question in his eyes. "Miyuki, are you okay to show them?"

I nodded, squeezing Hiei's hand for comfort. I could feel his presence in my mind, a great comfort right now.

I pulled the red jacket off, the tie coming off easily as I unbuttoned the shirt, revealing the tank top I wore underneath. The eyes of my audience widened as I lifted the bottom of the shirt, effectively exposing the scars on my stomach while the scars on my shoulder were easily seen without the sleeves. Hiei gently pulled my hair back out of my face, the way I usually wore it now, exposing the scars all the way to where they started back in my hairline. His touch sooth the shivers that were starting to course through my body.

There were gasps heard around the room. "Oh, Kami."

"We're trying to find a way to get rid of them, but the going is slow."

Fumiko-sensei got to her feet, slowly approaching me as if I was a wild animal. I winced as her gentle fingers touched the scars on my face. "You poor child," she whispered.

Seeing how I was starting to shake, Hiei gently, slowly, started to redress me, knowing my hands were shaking too badly to navigate the buttons. As I slid in to the jacket he held out for me, the teachers and Kurama were trying to find a way to help prevent another attack.

"I don't think she's able to do it. Not anytime soon, anyway."

I looked up at the man who spoke, not recognizing him.

"Hiroko-san? What do you mean?" the Director asked, crossing his arms.

The ningen, Hiroko-san, stood up, walking towards me, his gaze was heavy. I couldn't help but flinch and step away.

"See, I can't even get near her. There is no way she could function normally in a school with men in it. Even all girl schools have male teachers. It would be basically impossible to find a school where she would have no contact with men at all." He crossed his arms, leaning against the desk he had been sitting at.

I clenched my fists. "I can," I spoke up, closing my eyes so they wouldn't see the red and purple colors. "If you give me the chance to learn, I can do it. I want to be able to do this."

The Director sighed. "Kousetsu-san, we understand that you're trying very hard. We get that, but it seems like it's too much pressure to function normally. Perhaps, it would be best if you were removed from classes until your condition improves. I believe all of us are in agreement on that." There was a round a nods from the teachers.

Hiei gently touched my shoulder. Yusuke looked at the floor, his arms crossed, silent. Kurama nodded. "Perhaps."

I opened my eyes, tears overwhelming the dark purple color. Without another word, I ran out the door, and dashed, as fast as I could, away from the people I left behind.

* * *

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated

Violet – Sad


	23. New Arrivals

"Hiei! Any sign of her?" Kurama called down the street, having to be loud to be heard over the pouring rain.

The rain fell in sheets throughout the city, making it hard to see and hear.

Hiei looked towards his long-time friend, the umbrella over his head taking a beating from the rain. "No." There was a glow of the Jagan from under the binding. "There is no sign of her."

Kurama sighed, looking out in to the downpour. "Where could she have gone?"

The fire demon didn't answer, merely flitting away in search of his lost mate.

She wasn't at the house, no portal had been used, and they couldn't find her. He stopped under a tree in the park, the Jagan lighting up again. Not here. Where could she be?

She had been missing since this afternoon when they arrived home to not find her there. It was late now, the sun long set and soon rising.

"Onna, where are you?" Hiei breathed.

He had to find her. What if something happened and he wasn't there? He reached out with his mind, searching for any hint of hers. Nothing.

He stopped under another entrance of a building. Looking up, he discovered he was back at the school. He reached out with his mind again. "Why?" he asked himself before walking in to unlocked building.

He headed through the dark corridors, following the link he had. Why was she here?

He entered the gymnasium, set up for the gymnastics club. He found his mate in her tank top, skirt, and tall socks with her headphones in her ears. She seemed to be sparring against an invisible enemy. She didn't notice when he drew closer. He noticed that tears poured down her face in rivers with out her notice. Sobs left her throat, causing her to cough every so often.

All of a sudden, she whipped around, throwing a spinning high kick at his head. He blocked it just in time. She was going full out with her speed. The next thing he knew, he was jumping to avoid having his legs swiped out from under him. He then blocked another kick to the face.

He didn't say anything as she worked out her anger, never fighting back, merely blocking. When she went in to a coughing fit, he stood still until she went after him again.

She was fast, he had to give her that, but there was no strength behind the blows she sent out at him. The ones he didn't manage to catch, landed with almost no force. She seemed to be running on sheer desperation, but knew he posed no threat.

"Why won't you fight back?" she screamed all of a sudden.

"You want me to fight back?" he asked, his voice much lower than hers.

Her answer was a kick thrown to his head.

He caught it, pulling on her leg to drag her towards him. He caught her with his hand wrapped around her throat, not really wanting to hurt her, he threw her to the ground. She launched herself off of the ground. Her style was comprised of mostly kicks, he noted as he blocked the donkey kick she had aimed for his stomach. He wrapped his hands around her ankles, throwing her in to the pile of crash pads. She came full speed from the fall back at him. He didn't give her a chance to get another hit in as he caught her around the throat again, this time slamming her in the padded floor, pinning her there. She struggled in his grip, her nails pulling blood from his arm. He didn't even flinch as he watched her. Red eyes full of tears glared up at him.

"You wanted me to fight back," he said softly.

Without looking, he caught the kick she aimed at his head. Using this to his advantage, he pulled the foot so it hit the ground over her head, knowing that this wouldn't hurt the flexible girl. This trapped her as he pushed down on the back of her leg, her knee touching the top of her head.

"Are you done?" he asked simply.

She struggled for a moment, but she wasn't strong enough to throw him off. When she relaxed, he released his grip, allowing her fall to her side, curling up as she cried.

Why couldn't I do it?

Why can't I beat him?

What do I have to do to prove that I can do this?

I pulled at my hair in frustration. I didn't want to leave school. I've made friends here, and it was my chance to keep up with ningen ways.

"Does school really mean that much to you?"

Red eyes landed on the fire demon as he sat beside me, just watching. In response, I pushed myself up and launched a right hook at his head. _If I could land one good hit…_ His hand wrapped around mine as he caught my fist. Crying out, I threw a left straight, this one meeting the same end.

The tears were getting too much to see through. I sobbed quietly as Hiei, slowly, pulled me in to his lap. With a gentle hand, he removed the headphones from my ears, then wrapped his arms around me as I cried.

"It's not fair," I whispered, "I can do this. I can!"

"I know," my mate murmured, his lips pressed to my temple. "I know."

I tensed, my eyes narrowing. "Then why didn't you say anything in my defense at the meeting?"

"Because it means that you and I get to leave school."

"But I don't want to stop going to school. I like learning."

"Home school, or online."

"What about the people here?"

"You can come visit."

"Then how am I supposed to get used to guys again?"

"We can bring in new sparring partners. We have friends we can call in."

That was it. I didn't have any more reasons to stay in school. "I don't want to leave," I whined, leaning against Hiei's chest, my head on his shoulder.

He chuckled. "I thought you didn't like the smell of ningens."

I shook my head. "I don't. But you can't help but get used to it after a while." I wrapped my arms around my mate. "Thank you for coming to find me," I whispered.

He gave me a small smirk, lifting me to my feet and tossing me my clothes. "Get dressed. We're going home. We'll set you up with a home schooling program tomorrow."

"Sounds good."

* * *

"Hey Kurama, can you give me a hand with this problem?" I walked in to the kitchen, the smell of eggs wafting through the room. I put a hand to my nose, the smell making me gag. "Never mind, I'll wait until you're done cooking."

"What's the matter?" Emerald eyes settled on me, looking concerned. "The smell never used to bother you."

I shrugged. "I'm not sure. Just makes me nauseous now."

His eyes narrowed. "That's not good. Maybe we should have you go through a check-up with Koenma's doctors."

I shook my head. "I'm sure it's just a bug. It'll pass in no time." I headed out of the kitchen, away from the horrible smell, and in to the living room, crashing on the couch to look over the papers.

The door opened with a bang. "So, where's the sheila?" I peeked over the back of the couch, peering out at the intruders.

A tall man with a bright blue mohawk was at the forefront of the group, a bottle of sake clutched in his fist.

Behind him, hid a small child with a mess of brown hair, a tattoo of stars beneath his eyes as a calculating gaze scanned the room. "There she is!" A finger pointed in my direction.

Two more sets of eyes peered around the large man. Searing blue peeked between aqua bangs while a mop of bright red hair shook back and forth. "That's no speed demon. The lass looks nothing like 'em."

My eyes narrowed.

"I think the bloke's right. Don't look like no speed demon to me, eh, Touya?"

The icy male crossed his arms, "She certainly has no real energy to speak of."

I glared at the man, my eyes shifting colors. A pair of blue-green eyes blocked my line of sight out. "Hey! Her eyes did the shifty thing!"

The colors shifted again, this time from red to orange and white. "Can I help you?" My head tilted slightly to the side in confusion as I carefully moved away from the child.

"We're here to help out the speed demon. Where is she?" the man called Touya asked, watching me carefully.

"Hey! Guys! You made it!" Yusuke bounded from the kitchen trading a fist-bump with the very tall man. "Nice to see you again, Chu. How's it been?"

"Same old, you know? So, where's the sheila?" Chu asked, taking a drink from the half-empty bottle.

Yusuke chuckled. "You've already met her. Guys, this is Miyuki." He waved his hand in my direction, where I waved before turning back to my schoolwork, eyes shifting back to blue.

I yelped with my long hair was given a hard tug. "Hey!" In less than a blur of movement, I swung my fist at the child, nailing him in the forehead. "What was that for?"

Falling backwards with a thud, the child rubbed at his forehead. "Your hair isn't green!"

Sitting up, red eyes glared at the child. "So?" I turned to my friend. "What are they doing here? And why does this one feel the need to rip my hair out of my head?"

Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Remember, we went through this whole thing when we met you too."

I mimicked his motion, rolling my eyes. "My eyes are still the same, body type is the same. It's just the colors that are different." Standing, I drew myself up to my full height. "Why are they here?" I asked, slowly shifting away from the males.

"They're here to help," Kurama answered, entering the living room, Hiei right behind him.

My mate moved to my side, standing just in front of me, putting himself between the visitors and me. I gently twined my fingers with his, his touch helping to put me at ease.

"Well, well, well! Shorty's got himself a girlfriend."

I jumped at the proximity of the red head, eyes flashing to white. I froze, my arms up in front of me as a wall.

With a frown, the male backed up, putting space in between us. "I see what your saying. She's quite afraid of us."

Without warning, an arm wrapped around my middle, hoisting me up against a large body. I started to shake uncontrollably, words along the lines of "let me go" fell from my lips as I covered my head and curled up my legs.

"You didn't tell us the story of how she came to be like this," Touya asked, looking at my friends, Kazuma entering the room now.

I was gently put down and automatically taken in to Hiei's arms, the two of us taking a seat on the love seat.

I was finally introduced to the new guys. Their names were Chu, Rinku, Touya, and Jin. They had been in the Dark Tournament and fought, and lost, against my team.

I blocked out my story with the help of blasting music through my headphones, loud enough that Hiei could hear it from where I sat against his chest, working on my homework. Though I was supposed to be concentrating on my work, I couldn't help but get distracted by dark tattoo on his arm. Without really paying attention, I gently traced the marking with my fingertips. I could feel his eyes following my movements, but he did nothing to stop me. I yawned quietly, wondering why I had been so tired lately. I placed the papers aside, not able to concentrate as I closed my eyes, content to have my mate as my pillow.

"Hey! Mi!"

I twitched as my headphone was ripped off of my ear and the hanyou yelled. "What?" I grumbled.

"Let's go train!" With out warning, I was pulled out of Hiei's lap and thrown over Yusuke's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" I snapped before nailing a kick in to his stomach.

It caused him to flinch, but he merely laughed as he headed down in to the basement.

"I'm not even dressed right!" I snapped. By nailing a kick right below the ribs, I was released and seemingly disappeared from sight, appearing moments later dressed in a racer back tank and shorts. "Now, what are we doing?" I asked, pulling long, white hair in to a high ponytail.

"Wow! You really are a speed demon!" The stupid kid pulled on my hair again.

He may be as tall as me, but I was older than him by half a century, and I looked a lot older than him. I nailed a kick to his shin, smirking as I watched him hop up and down yowling about "damn girls".

"Onna, relax." Hiei's voice was gentle. "They're here to help."

I nodded slightly. "Can you put on something soft?" I asked, pulling my iPod out of his pocket. I searched through my playlist. "Can you put on this one?" I handed him the machine.

He nodded, hooking it up to the stereo. The acoustic version of "Diary of Jane" flooded from the speakers as I headed down to the ring. The males moved to watch from the wall as I began to dance, hoping it would relax me.

I stepped away from my Latin moves and returned to ballet as I jumped and twirled across the floor, ending the routine with a series of turns and ending on the floor.

Hiei offered me a hand as I moved to stand up. "Feeling better?"

"A bit. Whom am I going against?" I put a hand to my head, feeling a headache coming on.

Crimson eyes narrowed as he placed a hand to my forehead. "You're running a fever."

I nodded slightly. "It feels like Ryuu's toxin again," I murmured, moving closer to my mate. My rested on his shoulder, eyes closed in exhaustion. His warmth was greatly welcomed.

Yusuke's eyes narrowed, picking up on the tension. "We might have to call off the fights for today."

I stood up straight, brushing my bangs out of my eyes. "I can do this." My eyes narrowed. "Whom am I going up against?" I asked again.

"I'll go against ya!" the child called, joining me in the ring.

We took our places when Yusuke came up to me, handing me a pair of short blades, about eight centimeters in length. "Here. We had these made for you. You don't have the strength to beat most of us with the bo staff. Try these."

I nodded, flipping one of the knives over in my hand. They were simple and light, perfect balance. I smiled slightly, holding the knives so the blades were along my forearms.

"Weapons, then? Fine with me." Rinku held up a set of eight yoyos.

From the speakers, "Dance with the Devil" by Breaking Benjamin blasted, giving us our signal to start.

I pushed myself, blinking a few times to clear the blurriness as I weaved around his yoyos to leave shallow cuts on the back of his arms. He hissed as he pulled his arms in and I appeared in front of him again. His yoyos shot out again, trying to tie me up as I threaded through, leaving cuts on the back of his knees now.

"Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight. Don't you dare look at him in the eye, as we dance with the devil tonight," I sang as I danced between the yoyos. _Nice choice, love._ I could see Hiei's smirk as I dashed towards the child again.

He dropped the yoyos as cuts formed on the back of his hands. "I give!" he called, clutching his wounded hands to his chest.

I backed off, flipping one of the knives. "Thanks, Yusuke. I like them."

He laughed. "Knew you would. Who's going next?" he asked, turning to the males still at the wall.

Hiei appeared at my side, grabbing on to my shoulders. "You're swaying on your feet." His voice was soft towards me but rose when he addressed Yusuke. "We're stopping the fights. Something isn't right."

Yusuke was at our side in an instant. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure, but watch." Without warning, he pushed me, not hard, but enough that, on a normal day, I would have to step to keep my balance. Today, was not a normal day. I fell and fell hard, the knives flying from my hands to land harmlessly by the wall. My vision swam as I sat up, having to lie down again.

"Mi! Can you hear us?" Yusuke sounded both very loud and very far away at the same time.

Hiei's voice calling my name was the last thing I heard before my eyes rolled up in my head.

* * *

The speed demon has been asleep since she fainted during the practice. Hiei brought her to the medical wing, but they couldn't find what was wrong. They suggested that they wait it out. She would wake up eventually.

Their friends, Rinku, Chu, Jin, and Touya, had not left either. They wanted to know what was wrong with their new friend.

She was hooked up to a few machines. They didn't do anything that Hiei wanted to know about. He just knew the beeping meant that she was still alive. Her heartbeat was steady at twenty-eight beats, a good rate for her sleeping. That was the extent of what he needed to know.

It had been five days since she had gone down, and there had been no sign of her waking. Yusuke and Kuwabara were in the room right now, Kurama at school. Hiei was still sitting in the windowsill.

"Is it just me, or has Miyuki gained weight?" Yusuke looked carefully at his friend.

Hiei looked at him oddly. "She hasn't been eating since the last full moon. She hasn't been feeling well lately. Why would she gain weight?" He stared at his mate for a few seconds, his thoughts running over what had happened. "It can't be…" he breathed.

"What?" Kuwabara asked, his face inches from hers.

Hiei shoved him away, sitting down on the bed next to his mate. "Are you?"

"What's up with the lass now?" Jin asked, floating in to the room, followed by his friends.

A blue glow appeared on the fire demon's forehead through the binding and he placed a hand on the stomach of the girl.

Her eyes opened all of a sudden, the color one the group hadn't seen before, a deep black. "You finally figure it out, Dad?"

Hiei drew back, the glow fading. "Dad?"

Eyes widened around the room.

Yusuke's jaw dropped. "She's being controlled," he whispered.

"By what?" Kuwabara asked, his voice just as low.

"Her son." Miyuki's face gave a smirk.

"She's pregnant?" everyone asked together.

"Yep. About thirteen days now." Miyuki's face turned thoughtful. "Equivalent to about thirteen weeks in human time. Mom is a speed demon."

"So, you took her over?" Rinku asked, looking confused.

Miyuki's head nodded. "Seems like I get more from Dad than Mom. I get her growth rate, though. I'll be around in about four weeks. See you then."

Eyes turned back to blue right before they rolled back in her head. Hiei jumped forward, gathering the girl in his arms before she fell back on the pillow again. Holding her close, his Jagan lighting up again as he checked to make sure that whomever had taking over his mate hadn't been lying.

He was brought out of watching his son as Yusuke clapped a hand down on his shoulder. "Way to go, Hiei! Nice job!" He gave the fire demon a big grin. "You never did tell us how good she was."

A small hand reached up and smacked the hanyou in the back of head. The owner of the hand slowly opened her eyes, blue and light green eyes still looking tired. "Don't be stupid, Yusuke."

I didn't want to move from my haven of Hiei's arms, but something was off. The male was tense but his hold was gentle, as if afraid of breaking me. "Hiei?" I murmured, looking up at my mate.

"Well, we'll see you later." Yusuke led the way out of the room, pulling a confused Kazuma after him. The others quietly filed out.

This confused me even more. "What's going on?" I asked, reaching for my fire demon as he gently laid me back against the pillows.

He maneuvered so that he was lying beside me, allowing me to turn to face him in the small hospital bed. He gently touched my stomach. "We have someone else in the room with us, right now."

I looked around the room. "Where?"

He touched my stomach again. "Right here."

I looked down at my stomach, realizing it was larger than the last time I had seen it. "Are you saying…" I trailed off, orange eyes meeting ruby.

He nodded. "A son."

Wide eyes looked from him to my belly, and I placed a hand there. "A child." I looked back up at the male, gently placing a hand on his cheek. "Our child."

His eyes darkened slightly, becoming half-lidded. "Our child." His lips crushed mine, eyelids sliding shut to hide ruby and sapphire. My hands tangled in his hair while his wrapped around me, pulling me against a strong body.

A child.

_Our_ child.

* * *

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated

Violet – Sad


	24. Welcome to the World

"Can I get a hand, please?" I asked, looking up at my friends from my place on the couch.

"Yeah, here." Yusuke's hand entered my vision, helping to pull me in to a standing position.

It took me a second to get steady on my feet, making Jin put a hand to my back. "Don't worry, lass, we got you."

I gave the wind demon a small smile. "Thank you."

"How much longer now?" Rinku asked, pulling on my hair like always.

I smacked him on the back of the head. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow's the day." I placed a hand to my bulging stomach, feeling a kick in response.

"How's your back feeling?" Kurama's hand landed on my shoulder.

I raised an eyebrow, silently asking if he was kidding. He gave me a smile in response.

"You know, heat help ease the muscles," Botan offered, her eyebrows wiggling in suggestive ways.

I shook my head. "I don't want to bother him." I glanced at the stairs, hoping. I sighed when I saw they were empty.

Hiei had been shut up in his room for most of my pregnancy, almost forcing the others to take care of me because I was having a hard time moving around. It hurt not having him around. We haven't been mated for long, so it supposed to be hard to be apart.

_Why does it seem like I'm the only one that wants to be together?_ I gently touched the mark at the junction of my neck and shoulder.

"Don't worry, sheila," Chu offered, taking a swig from the ever-present bottle. "He'll wise up eventually."

I nodded, my eyes a dark purple. "I hope so."

I wandered toward the kitchen, hoping to find something to eat. The cravings hadn't been bad, it was the pain that had been a killer. My little boy had a tendency to kick me in the ribs, causing many sleepless nights.

I stumbled slightly as he gave another kick, Touya catching me by the arm. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, he's just feisty." I gave him a smile as another shot of pain went through my back, causing me to wince. "Just wish he would stop kicking me in the back."

"He wouldn't be kicking you there this late in the pregnancy," Kurama mused.

I looked back at him as another spasm went through my back. "Then what am I feeling?" I asked.

"You're going in to labor." His eyes and voice were serious as they landed on me.

The baby must have heard him because the next spasm of pain through my back caused me to double over crying out in pain, grey eyes closing tightly.

Botan went sprinting upstairs as Yusuke called Koenma. Kurama headed towards the portal room as Chu lifted me up easily as I bit back another cry of pain. Quickly, we headed towards the hospital.

"Hiei!" Botan slammed her fist in to his door. He hadn't been there for during the pregnancy, but Kami help him, he wasn't going to miss the birth of his child. "Hiei! Hurry up! Miyuki's in labor!"

The door opened at that note, revealing a fire demon with what looked like dark blue paint stuck to his cheek. He looked confused. "She's not due until tomorrow night."

Without a thought, the reaper grabbed his wrist and started running back downstairs, dragging the short demon. "The baby has other plans. He's coming now."

"Then you're moving too slow." Grabbing the much taller girl around the middle, he heaved her over his shoulder as he flitted to the portal, dashing through the vortex left open for them.

Hiei placed the reaper down on her feet, following the sounds of screams from his mate. He found the room, all of his friends standing outside, the girls fretting.

"Hiei! You're just in time. According to the doctors, she's been in labor for hours and didn't notice. He's coming now!"

Yusuke's words were all he needed to enter the room, finding Kurama at his mate's side. He stepped up and took her hand, causing her to open grey eyes.

"Hiei, you came." Her voice was strained and her grip was tight. Hiei had to be glad that she wasn't strong enough to break his bones.

He gently pulled some strands of hair out of her face, sweat dampening her locks. "Of course I came." He cringed slightly as she let out another scream as pain ripped through her.

"You can't push yet!" a doctor screamed.

She gritted her teeth, glaring at the man. "He's pushing for me!"

"Just a few more minutes." The doctor hurried away, seeming to fear for his life.

Kurama got his attention. "I'm going outside. Don't leave her side." With that, the fox left.

"What does that mean? Are you leaving too?" Her hands grabbed at his in fear. "Don't! Please! I need you!" She sounded desperate.

He gently touched her face, causing her to go quiet. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm here. I love you."  
There. The words were out.

The speed demon froze, her eyes locked with his just before another shot of pain went through her, causing her eyes to close and another scream to issue from her throat.

"It's time. Push!"

Hiei gripped her hand, willing his energy to work with her and help her get through this. The female panted with effort, exhausted and not knowing how much longer she could go.

"You're so close," the fire demon whispered, knowing she could hear him.

She gave another scream, a death grip on her mate's hand, the other gripping the rail. A final push, and the baby was free. The parents didn't get a chance to see him before the doctors brought him out of the room for cleaning.

I fell back on the pillows, completely worn out. I smiled slightly as I looked up at my mate. I carefully released the grip I had on his hand and reached for his face. We shared a short kiss before Hiei sat down on the bed next to me. Pink eyes watched his expression while crimson watched mine. His hands took one of mine, gently warming the pale skin.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," he said softly. "I was working on something."

I shook my head slightly. "You're here now. That's what matters. I love you." My voice was soft, hoping what he said earlier wasn't a fluke.

He gave a small smirk, almost a smile. "I love you too," he whispered. His warm hands toyed with my fingers, and I was quite content, but I couldn't help but keep glancing toward the door when the doctors had disappeared through with my baby.

Glancing back at my mate, I noticed the odd coloring on his cheek. "What were you doing?" I asked, poking at the dark blue color.

He looked away, the blush giving away his embarrassment.  
I smiled, sitting up to take his face in my hands, making him look at me. "What were you doing?" I asked again

"I was painting our room. I was trying to make it like the meadow."

My smile grew wider as I pulled myself closer to him, quite comfortable in his arms. "Thank you. I can't wait to see it." I frowned slightly. "I want to see my son." I pulled the blanket off of my legs, moving to stand. The blood stained gown covered me past my knees as I headed to the door, finding it much easier to walk than the past few weeks.

"Onna, change your gown before you go running around." A strong arm wrapped around my waist, his other hand pulling at the ties to undo them. My naked body wasn't exposed to the cold room for long before a shorter gown was quickly tied and I was allowed free.

I had gained very little weight from the pregnancy, the time being too short to really impact my body. What even had been changed, even the damage from the birth itself, was already healing and returning to what it was before. The speed demon body didn't change much, couldn't change much. We were incredibly weak compared to other demons so we couldn't risk ourselves and children by having to deal with a lot of weight gain, slowing us down; another reason why our pregnancies are so short.

I was just about to open the door to go see my child when the door behind me swung open with a bang.

"Where's the kid?" Yusuke asked, looking around the room, the rest of our group behind him.

I raised an eyebrow. "That's what I was wondering." I turned back to the door, placing my hand on the handle when it turned underneath it. I stepped back.

Koenma walked in, a small blue bundle in his arms. "Here he is," he said softly.

I frowned slightly. I wanted to be the first to hold my child, either Hiei or me. But as I took my son from the spirit's arms, all of those thoughts went out the window.

He was tiny, that's for sure, but his parents weren't very big either. Underneath the soft white cap, wisps of black hair peeked out. His eyes wouldn't open until tomorrow or the day after, so I couldn't tell what color his eyes were, but there was a line across his forehead, revealing the fact that he had, somehow, inherited the Jagan eye from his father.

I turned to my mate, gently placing his son in his arms. I watched carefully as he maneuvered his arms to gently cradle his son. "He looks like me," he said softly.

I gently touched the skin of the baby's cheek, my skin very white against his color, not unlike Hiei's. "He does."

"Let us see!" Yusuke's head popped in between my mate's and mine, Rinku appearing on the other side.

Hiei gave me a questioning look, and I nodded. Our baby was handed off to the hanyou. "You drop him and I'll gut you where you stand," the fire demon threatened.

Yusuke looked shocked. "He's so tiny." His voice dropped in volume as he turned to show the others.

I smiled, keeping a sharp eye on the child. Hands gently wrapped around my waist from behind, a head resting on top of mine. "What are we naming him?"

I fell silent for a second. "Haru, I think." I place my hands on top of his, resting against him before I yawned. "Do you like it?"

"It works."

I chuckled softly at his answer, my tired blue and pink eyes watching my son being passed to Kayko.

"So, is he going to age like you or me?" Hiei asked.

I shrugged. "The pregnancy was like a speed demon, so I'm guessing that he will grow like me. He'll be fully grown in less than ten years, then."

"You're tired."

I nodded, yawning again. I climbed back in to the bed, resting against the pillows. My eyes watched as Kazuma carefully passed Haru to Kurama. I smiled slightly, watching the people who had become my family interact with my son. My mate sat on the bed next to me, his eyes carefully watching his son be passed around the room.

Haru's whine made me alert, arms automatically reaching for my child. Kurama gently placed him in my arms, and I settled back against the pillows.

Following tradition, I bit down on my thumb, blue blood welling to the surface.

"Mi, what are you doing?" Rinku asked, having climbed up to sit at the foot of my bed.

"I'm creating a bond." I gently pressed my finger in to my baby's mouth, allowing him to swallow the liquid. "Because of the early separation of mother and child or father and child, we don't learn how to create bonds, normally. So, we developed ways to create those bonds, by the transfer of blood." My child gently sucked at my finger, seeming quite content.

"So, you don't have bonds with us?" Kazuma looked hurt at the statement.

"I said 'normally'. I had never created a bond with anyone other than my mother on the island so I was never exposed to it I guess you could say. On the other hand, I didn't speak Japanese when you first met me. How was I supposed to explain it to all of you?" I looked at all of my friends. "I have forged bonds, with all of you." I couldn't help but allow a smirk come to my lips. "If you want to create the bond, that's fine with me." The youkai in the group laughed slightly while the ningens looked a little disturbed.

I smiled, laughing as well until a bloody wrist was shoved in to my mouth. I swallowed a mouthful, choking slightly, laughing again when Yusuke took his wrist away. "It wasn't an invitation. Though I have to say, Mazoku blood has a nice flavor to it."

He gave me a grin, laughing at Kayko's disgust.

I bit in to my wrist, offering it to Yusuke to seal the bond.

He swallowed the blue liquid, licking his lips slightly. "Not bad."

I gently placed my son in his crib, his room was my old one. I was leaning against the side, watching him sleep when Hiei wrapped his arms around my waist, his face buried in the crook of my neck. I smiled slightly, leaning my head on his. "Yes?" I asked, knowing he had something he wanted to say.

"You haven't bonded with me," he growled. I could feel his fangs drag over the mark he had left, reminding me that belonged to him and only him.

"You took my blood when you left the mark. I am bonded to you." I turned around to face him, looking up in to his eyes. "It is you that is not bonded to me."

He looked thoughtful, reflecting on what I said. "Should I bond with him?" he asked, looking down at our son.

I nodded. "Just wait until he's awake." I turned to look at the sleeping child again. "He's going to open his eyes tomorrow," I said softly, gently brushing a finger against the soft cheek.

Gentle hands pulled me away from my child and towards our bedroom. I watched my mate, noticing he had the look his eye.

I smirked slightly, shutting the door of our bedroom, pulling him down to lock my lips with his. His hands pulled at the buttons of my shirt, undoing them one by one as my hands went to the belts on his pants, trying to pull his shirt free in the process. I gasped softly against his lips as his hands unclipped my bra, pulling the fabric free of my torso. The room was cold, probably on purpose, I noted as the two of us tumbled on the sheets. I pulled at his shirt, tugging it free from the belts finally. "Why so many belts?" I grumbled against his lips, annoyed at how much work it took to undress him.

"Because it annoys you," he chuckled, stripping my body of my pants and underwear in one move, leaving me naked.

"Well, it's working." I bit at his lip, my nails scratching at his skin as I pulled the shirt from his torso and used my feet to push his pants down his legs. I hissed as his teeth caught my breast, his fangs drawing blood. His hands pinned mine, his eyes dark as they met my lavender ones.

"You never told me what the lavender means," he said, his teeth now scraping at the skin of my neck.

"Lust," I answered. I bucked my hips in to his, hoping to get him to let go of my wrists.

He didn't, though his nails did dig in, drawing blue blood to the surface before a warm tongue licked it away. I moaned at the feeling. His skin and touches warm to my cold skin.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say the pain turns you on." He dragged his fangs against my shoulder.

"Just stop teasing," I whined.

He pushed himself up, his lips hovering millimeters above mine. "Why should I?"

I blushed furiously. "Because I want you."

He gave me a smirk, giving me a kiss before releasing one of my hands, placing his wrist at my lips. "Bite," he ordered.

I did as told, sinking my fangs easily through his flesh, pulling a groan from his lips. Hot blood spilled, sealing our bond as I drank the liquid.

He slammed in to me as I sucked at the wound, causing me to groan against his skin. I dug my nails in to his shoulders, gasping for breath as he started to move at a hard rhythm. His mouth clashed with mine, tasting his blood on my lips in the harsh kiss.

The coiling feeling in the pit of my stomach was building up quickly. "Hiei!" I whined against his lips, begging for the release.

He pulled away, slamming his hips harder in to mine, causing moans to issue from my throat consistently.

The feeling released, throwing my head back as I cried out his name, digging my nails in to his skin.

It didn't take him long to come to his release with the muscles of my core clenching at his length. He growled as he came, his fangs piercing my skin on top of the mark, causing me to cry out again.

We slowed to a stop, both panting and covered with a light sheen of sweat. I pulled him down to rest on top of me, pulling his wrist to my mouth to lick away the blood that had stopped flowing, but was still on his skin. His eyes watched me as I did, his gaze not giving away anything. When the flesh was clean, I shifted, feeling his length softening inside me.

"I love you," I whispered against the skin of his wrist, placing a gentle kiss on the healing flesh.

His warm breath washed over the skin of my neck as he nipped at the flesh. "Love you too," he said, his voice soft as he shifted to lay beside me, pulling me so my back was against his chest. Our legs tangled together as he pulled the blankets over us, the heat from his skin fighting off the chill from the room.

His speed demon fell asleep easily in his arms. He smirked against the bare skin of her shoulder, her skin cool against his.

He easily slipped from the bed, pulling on a pair of shorts before leaving the room. He headed quietly down the hall, opening the door to a familiar room. Cooing could be heard from the crib as he approached. When the fire demon looked over the bars, he could see blue eyes that changed to yellow as they set their sight on his father. Small hands reached for the older demon. Hiei smirked, gently picking up his child, cradling the small boy to his chest. He bit down on his index finger, red blood welling to the surface, which was held to the child's lips. A warm tongue gently licked away the liquid, creating the bond between father and child.  
Hiei's smirk softened to an almost smile as he sat down in the rocking chair that had been placed by the balcony doors. The child cooed as his small hands grabbed at his father's fingers.

Hiei found it hard to believe that this tiny being was his son. His blood. His family. The baby was warm against his bare chest, attesting to the fact that had received more from him than the speed demon.

"Is he okay?"

Crimson eyes met worried blue eyes as the speed demon entered the room. He nodded, looking back at the child. "Just wanted to see him."

She gave a sleepy smile, standing next to the rocking chair and gazing at Haru, his turning from blue to yellow again at the sight of his mother. "At least he got something from me," she mused quietly, gently taking the boy in to her arms before settling herself in to Hiei's lap. She curled against his chest with the baby pulled close to hers, basking in the warmth that the two provided. "He has more fire abilities than he has mine," she murmured, noticing the child was falling asleep again.

He nodded, wrapping his arm around his family, gently placing a kiss on the temple of his female. He could tell she was tired by the way she fought to keep her eyes open. "Go to sleep," he whispered, raising his temperature slightly to give her more warmth.

She nodded against his shoulder, yawning as she drew their son closer. "Good night, my love."

"Good night."

The three of them slept peacefully, until baby decided he was hungry.

* * *

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated

Violet – Sad

Lavender – Lust


	25. New Mission

"Now?" I asked, my wide eyes looking at the Grim Reaper in confusion. "I'm a little busy." I dashed up the stairs, appearing at the third floor, home to the girls.

"Koenma wants you now," she pressed.

I rolled my eyes at the much taller girl. "Too bad. I have something to do first. As soon as I'm done, I'll go. If you want it to go faster, help me." When she didn't answer, I disappeared from sight. Botan could only watch in amazement as all of the doors flew open one by one seemingly by no one.

In reality, I was looking for something.

Or someone, I should say.  
"Haru!" I called, heading back downstairs in a blur.

My son was hiding from me, and Koenma was looking for me to go to his office. I wasn't going to go until I found the three month old, though he looked more like he was two years of age.

I could hear the music going on downstairs, the one place I hadn't checked. I dashed down the stairs, appearing in the doorway.

I couldn't help but laugh at the sight before my eyes. Yusuke and Kuwabara were doing some lifting of weights, while Hiei and Kurama had just finished a light spar. What I was smiling at was the fact that my son had been given a pair of ten-kilo weights, one of which easily outweighed him, and he was easily mimicking his uncle's movements, causing Hiei to watch his son proudly as Yusuke and Kuwabara laughed, Kurama joining in with a chuckle.

My giggle echoed through the room, causing five pairs of eyes to turn towards me.

"Maman!" Haru dropped his weights with a bang.

In a flash of white, I scooped up my child in to a hug, yellow eyes meeting their match. His shaggy black hair hung across his forehead and tanned skin looked dark next to mine as his arms reached around my neck in a hug.

"Miyuki!"

I sighed, rolling my eyes (something I picked up from Yusuke). "Coming!"

"What's up, Mi?" Yusuke asked. Hiei's eyes were asking me the same question.

"Koenma wants to see me as soon as possible. I was looking for this one, making sure someone could watch him while I was gone. Can you guys keep an eye on him for me?" I asked, my eyes pleading.

Warm hands gently pulled the boy from my arms. Hiei gave me a small smirk. "Go see Koenma. I'll take care of him." My son pulled on his father's hair.

I smiled, placing a kiss on the two fire demons' cheeks. "Thank you." I dashed up stairs after the Grim Reaper, following her in to a portal.

A thick smell permeated the air outside the office, reminding me of the time Hiei and I went to the island. This scent wasn't accompanied with the same feeling. This scent pissed me off because I knew what was behind it. I squashed anger down as I pushed the door open.

"Koenma-san, you were looking for me?"

Two sets of eyes looked at me. Koenma was behind his desk while before it stood one of the most hated demons of the female society. A succubus.

Her blonde hair curled at the ends and set off the curling horns sprouting from her head, falling down to her hips. Her red eyes narrowed as they settled on me as she set her body in a way that showed off her clothing, or lack-there-of, as if trying to say that she thought that I was below her. Her bat-like wings settled against her back.

Then she pulled a one-eighty. She giggled holding her hand out for a handshake. "Hi! I'm Aimi. I hope we get to be friends."

I frowned, eyes flashing to red. "I'd rather people not lie to me," I said flatly, having noticed the fact that her eyes had narrowed when I walked in and the fact that her heart rate had picked up when she had spoken.

She chuckled, her demeanor changing in an instant. Her smile turned to a smirk as she crossed her arms. "Who would have thought someone like you would see through me."

Red eyes stuck around this time. "What is that supposed to mean?" I growled. _This girl really irritates me._

Aimi gave a short burst of laughter, looking down at me from her 170-centimeter height, thirty more than I had, but she didn't answer as she turned toward Koenma.

I looked towards the spirit. "What is going on here, Koenma? Are you sticking her with us?"

He gave me a smile. "You catch on quick. You are in charge of watching over Aimi and her sister."  
Red eyes flickered to orange. "I'm in charge? Her sister?"

The doors slammed open again. "Sorry I'm late!" The blonde rushed in, her light purple eyes wide as she tried to catch her breath. Unlike her sister, she was dressed conservatively, carried no horns, and there were no wings bursting through the white sweater she was wearing.

I narrowed my eyebrows. "What is she?" I asked, looking back at the spirit ruler.

The new arrival bowed, catching my attention. "I'm Amaya. I hope that you will take of my sister and me."

I gave her a soft smile, eyes shifting to blue and returning the bow. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Miyuki."

"To answer your question, Amaya is a healer. She and Aimi are twins that are a valuable resource for me to help close a case that the SDF is working with." Koenma handed me a file, heavy with paperwork.

I flipped casually through the papers. "Why am I looking after them? It's not like they can share a room with me."

Koenma shook his head. "Now that Atusko is gone back to her apartment, the bedroom on the third floor was available for the two of them."

I nodded, handing the file full of legal terminology back to the male. "Okay. How long will they be staying with us?"

"Until the trial is over."

I nodded. "No problem. I'll take care of them." I turned to the girls; one looking hopeful while the other simply raised an eyebrow at me. "Let's get you home." I led the way through the portal to my home, the two girls following with curiosity as I headed towards the basement, where I could hear the howls of laughter from the boys. I knew the girls were out shopping, other than Botan who was with Koenma.

"Bedrooms are upstairs. Attached to each room is a half-bath while the floor shares a shower room. Down here, we have an arcade room, home theater, a studio, library, and kitchen. And downstairs, I'll just show you." I led the two girls through the door, now recognizing the song as "Animal I Have Become" by Three Days Grace.

I pulled the two girls down to avoid the stray Shotgun bullet. "Hey! Is that any way to treat our guests?" I called, getting the attention of the boys.

The succubus seemed to take the presence of the guys as an invitation to show off her self. The smell I had caught earlier spread through the room, causing the males in the ring to look towards the three of us.

I growled low in my throat before pulling hard on one of the female's horns, noticing that her sister did nothing to stop me.

"Hey!" she howled, seeming to be in pain. "Those are attached."

My red eyes narrowed further as I pulled her down to my level. "You are not to touch these males, under any circumstances. Understand?"

"Why? They're all so cute-" Her words were cut off as I pulled harder on the horn.

"If you don't knock it off, you're going to lose the horn," I threatened before letting her go finally. I turned to run straight in to Yusuke. His eyes were unclear and focused on the succubus beside me. "Yusuke!" I called, gently tapping on his forehead. "Wake up!"

He shook his head, eyes focusing how. "Whoa!" He sounded disoriented as he looked down at me. "What are the girls here for?" he asked.

"This is Aimi and Amaya. I am in charge of their safety until the trial they are witnesses for is over."

Kurama nodded, looking over the two new females. "Understandable that Koenma would want a female in charge of two succubus."

Amaya cleared her throat, looking almost offended. "I'm in no way like my sister. I'm a healer."

Yusuke grinned. "You'll come in handy then."

Kazuma beat me to it when he bopped the hanyou off the head. "Be nice, Urameshi."

"Make me!"

I shook my head, blocking out the two bickering males. "Girls, this is Urameshi Yusuke, Mazoku hanyou; Kuwabara Kazuma, human; Kurama, fox demon; and Jaganshi Hiei, fire demon. They live here as well." At the mention of my mate's name, it made remember something. "Where's Haru?" I asked, orange meeting crimson.

He pointed up and Yusuke elaborated. "Just went to sleep. Lifting all the weight wore him out. He fell asleep on the mats."

I nodded. "You wanted me to do some sparring today, correct?" I asked, changing the subject.

Kurama nodded. "We want to see how you fair against me."

I nodded. "Let me get changed." I disappeared from view, appearing moments later dressed in a racer back tank and shorts, pulling my hair up in to a high ponytail.

Amaya let out a gasp and I felt soft finger gently brush across the scars on my face. "You poor thing! I can heal these for you."

I froze, looking at the taller female. "Really?"

She nodded. "It's no problem. It can be a thank you for watching over my sister and me."

I glanced at Hiei, who shrugged. "I'll let you know," I answered. She responded with a nod.

I headed in to the ring with Kurama, all of the bystanders moving to watch the fight.

"Ow!" I yelped as Yusuke pulled another thorn out of my back.

"My apologies, Miyuki." Kurama responded, helping me drink a cup of tea that contained an antidote to the paralytic that his rose whip had contained when it had wrapped around me, leaving thorns buried in my skin.

I shook my head, still finding it hard to force my body to move. "Not your fault," I forced out, my words slurring together.

Gentle hands touched the fox's and my shoulder. "I can help," Amaya said, kneeling beside me to help Yusuke pull the inch long barbed thorns from my skin.

Blue blood welled down my bared back as I sat with a towel pressed against my front. Hiei's hand was warm on the skin of my leg, his touch a comfort.

"You're mated?" the healer asked, her hand brushing against the tattoo-like mark on my shoulder. A black dragon curling around a crescent moon decorated my skin.

I nodded, wincing again as a few more thorn were pulled free of flesh, a gentle warmth spreading over the skin as Amaya worked her magic. "Almost five months now." Talking and moving was coming more easily, I realized as I looked to Hiei for confirmation. He nodded.

Amaya's glanced between the two of us. Her next question was interrupted by a scream from upstairs.

I seemingly disappeared from my spot on the floor, pulling on my shirt as I ran as fast as I could up the stairs. I could hear Hiei following after me.

I entered the living room to find Aimi holding my son by his arm, watching curiously as he screamed and cried. She was fascinated by the tear gems hit the floor with a bounce, Haru having inherited the trait from his father's koorime side.

"Put him down now!" I growled, approaching the succubus with blazing red eyes. Hiei's hand was on his katana while I wished I had grabbed my knives.

"Okay! Geeze! What's your problem?" She dropped him from where she was holding him above her head.

He never hit the ground. He was wrapped up in his father's arms, Hiei's ki flaring dangerously as he glared at the succubus.

"Aimi!" The healer's eyes flashed in anger. "What did you do?"

Wings fluttered slightly as the girl shrugged. "Just playing. Didn't know it would piss off the shorties."

I growled low in my throat as Yusuke handed me my knives. I gripped them hard. "Aimi. Downstairs. Now!"

"What'd I do?" She seemed to have no idea what she had done. "It's just a stupid kid."

"That is my son!" I shoved the taller girl toward the ring.

Not even waiting for music, I threw myself toward the girl, knives flashing dangerously as gashes appeared in her skin and her wings were sliced.

"Hey! Not cool!" Her eyes narrowed as she pulled her wings around her to protect them. She looked towards the others watching the fight. Not even her sister looked like she was going to stop me.

I smirked. "You're all alone in this fight. They protect me, not you. They always will." I twirled the knife around my hand.

"I'm sorry! Geeze! Lay off!"

Having gotten her to apologize, I could end the fight. I barreled in to her, knocking her easily in to the ground with a knife buried in the ground on either side of her head. "Do not touch my son again. Do you hear me?" I hissed, my knee pressing right under her rib cage.

She nodded, not trusting her voice.

I appeared by my mate's side, my eyes reverting back to blue as I gently touched the skin of my son's face, making sure he was okay. Hiei gave me a nod, telling me he was fine.

Haru reached out to me, asking to be passed to his mother. I wrapped my arms around him, holding tightly as I leaned against my mate, noticing his ki flare as he glared at the succubus still on the floor.

Aimi slammed the door to the room she was borrowing.

How dare they? How could they turn against her and accept her idiotic sister? Wasn't she more beautiful than Amaya? Wasn't she better? The white-haired female didn't know what she had coming. She was going to pay.

And Aimi knew exactly what to do.

* * *

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated

Violet – Sad

Lavender – Lust


	26. In Need of a Break

"What do you think?" I asked, gently wrapping my arms around Hiei's shoulders as I sat behind him on the bed.

"Of what?" he asked. His eyes were glued to the katana he was cleaning.

"Of having Amaya get rid of the scars?"

I knew he had grown attached to them for reasons I couldn't understand. He looked up at me, as if evaluating.  
"Wait a second!" I leapt from the bed to the jewelry box that sat on our dresser. I pulled out the simple silver ring that Botan had given me four and a half months ago. Slipping it on, I watched in the mirror as the dark marks disappeared. Turning back to my mate, I smiled widely. "Which do you like better?"

He shrugged. "It's not my choice."

My smile fell and turned thoughtful as I turned back to the mirror, removing the ring. I pulled my hair out of my face, examining the scars that streaked across my face: temple to eye; top of ear to cheek; bottom of ear to throat. I have become so used to hiding them with my hair, so used to seeing them in the mirror. They were sensitive to Hiei's touch. I was so used to them that it was hard to imagine never having to see them again. Did I really want to get rid of the scars?

I looked up at the sound of the bedroom door opening. "Hey, Kurama. What's up?"

He looked around the room and Hiei shot up, his grip on the katana tight. His eyes were narrowed and angry. "What? You can't find him?"  
My heart dropped in to my stomach. "Where's Haru?"

Kurama looked towards me, his eyes grim. "Last time we saw him, he was with Amaya and Yukina. They were in the living room."  
My eyes widened. "Yukina wanted to take him to see your garden!" I ran as fast as I could, scaring the people sitting in the living room as the front door seemed to open itself. Heading around the house, I dashed in to the fox demon's garden. Stopping in the center, I called out. "Haru! Yukina! Amaya!" The calls rang unanswered.

That's when I noticed an odd color on the ground, a pale, light blue.

"Yukina!" I was at the koorime's side instantly. "Hiei!" I screamed, knowing he wasn't far away.

The female was out cold, knocked out by a blow to the temple, the bruising and blood proving the fact. Looking up, I realized that Amaya was in a similar situation, her lips stained with blood she had coughed up.

"Kurama! Hiei!" My voice was piercing and shrill with panic.

Warm hands gently touched my shoulders before moving to pick up his sister. "Who did this?" he growled, looking toward the fox.

I watched as the redhead gently picked up the healer, brushing pale blonde hair from her face.

"Where is my son?" I asked, my voice soft with fear.

My son was gone.

Bat wings fluttered in impatience, red eyes watching the video feed. _Why won't he wake up yet?_

"What is the matter, my seductress?" A clawed finger was dragged down her neck and over her shoulders.

Aimi smirked. "Tired of waiting." She spun in her chair, turning to face the male behind her. "Don't you get tired of hiding down here?"

A dark chuckled sounded as his hand gently touched her jaw and skimmed down to her collarbone. "It does get tiring, but until that brat Koenma gives up, I have to. That's why I sent you and your sister to try and throw him off my scent."  
Aimi shook her head. "Amaya has no idea what's going on. She's not that bright. But that's why you like me better, right?"

A twisted grin split his face. "Of course, my sweet. Of course." His eyes traveled to the monitor displaying the security camera watching the young demon. He observed the burn marks that decorated the walls of the cell. _The child is strong. This damage is only from temper tantrums. What will happen when we bring out his power?_ He couldn't help but smile darkly at the thought. _Child of the Forbidden Child, you will help me win against him._

Long white hair whipped behind me as I twisted in midair, slashing at the rose whip Kurama lashed at me. I growled deep in my throat as thorns tore in to my skin as it wrapped around my waist, throwing me in to the ground with ease. I ignored the blood that streamed from my waist as I pushed myself up, dashing toward the fox demon with little effort, knives catching the light as the slashed towards the male, catching only fabric as he dashed away. I hissed as that damn whip caught me across my legs, knowing that if he were serious about fighting me, I wouldn't have any legs now. That didn't stop me from getting up. Well, trying to anyway. My leg wouldn't take the weight.

Warm hands pushed me down. "She gives."

Kurama nodded. "I guessed at that, seeing as she is unable to stand now."

I growled, glaring up at my mate who simply met my gaze evenly. "I have to get better." Grabbing his arm without consent, I pulled myself up off the ground. My leg buckled immediately beneath me, sending me crashing in to the mat.

"Amaya!" Kurama called, kneeling beside me as Hiei pulled me in to a sitting position, his warm hands resting on my shoulders as I dropped my head in to my hands.

"I need to get better. I need to be better so I can find him." My voice turned from a growl to a sob as I spoke, tears falling from red and dark purple eyes.

Gentle hands touched the large gash on my thigh, warmth spreading through the flesh as Amaya healed the wound. "We'll find him. Don't worry, Miyuki." She tried to sound sure of herself, but the waver in her voice gave away that she didn't know how to accomplish the task.

My hands pulled at my hair. I was frustrated with myself. I had been unable to protect Haru. My nails pulled blue blood from my scalp as I cried.

My fire demon's hands gently untangled mine from my hair, pulling my body back against his to allow Amaya to heal the wound that went around my waist. He locked his hand around my wrists, making sure that I couldn't cause more scratches. _{Relax.}_

I leaned my head against his shoulder, crying quietly.

I felt pathetic. Worthless. I can't find my son, and because I'm so wrapped up in that, I've been horrible to my mate, forcing him to take care of me. He had to make sure I ate and slept, sometimes even reduced to using his Jagan to make me fall asleep. I know he's doing that right now, making my eyes heavy and my head foggy. "Haru." The name slipped from my lips as I gave in to sleep.

"She is getting better," Amaya pointed out as she washed the female's blood off of her hands.

"She hasn't stopped in a month. We're getting to the point that we have to force her to take care of herself." Kurama glanced at the healer as he poured the hot tea in to cups. "It's almost like taking care of a child."

Amaya frowned, looking in to the cup of green tea. "She's devastated."

Kurama could only nod.

A sigh was heard as the fire demon walked in to the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee before leaning against the counter.

"How is she?" the healer asked.

He shook his head. "She'll sleep for a while. She doesn't realize that she's slowly killing herself."

The two other demons nodded. They had noticed the speed demon losing weight. She refused to eat, saying she needed to train. Every hour of every day was training for her. Miyuki believed that she wasn't strong enough.

Draining the last sip of coffee from the cup, Hiei pushed away from the counter. He had to make sure she showered when she woke.

He pushed the door to the bedroom open, revealing that she was just waking up.

I blinked rapidly, brushing white hair out of my eyes. "What time is it?" I grumbled, my vision still blurry.

"It's almost dinner time. Come on. You need to shower." The bed sank in as Hiei sat down next to me.

I shook my head. "I'll just change and head back down to the gym." I moved to stand up, heading to my dresser.

A hand grabbed the back of my shirt, pulling me back towards the bed. "No. You need to shower. Let's go."

I raised an eyebrow at my mate. "I'm sorry?"

"Let's go."

"Are you going to make me?"

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. "Do I need to?"

I shook my head, moving towards the dresser. "I need to train."

A growl tore from Hiei's throat then hands wrapped around me, locking my hands at my sides and heaving me over a shoulder. He held me easily as I yelled and thrashed. We headed in to the hall to find our friends coming up to see what the problem was.

"Put me down!" I screeched. When he didn't react, I screamed again, "I don't have time!"

Before heading in to the bathroom, Hiei turned toward our friends. "Yukina."

"Yes, Brother?"

"Can you pick out some nice clothes for Miyuki? I'm taking her out tonight."

"Of course, Brother." She gave a smile and headed in to our room.

I looked at the ice maiden in shock. That traitor!

The bathroom door was locked behind us. I growled as warm hands started to remove my clothing. "What are you doing?"

When I didn't allow him to pull my shirt off, he simply ripped it. "I'm taking you out tonight." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world as he pushed my shorts and underwear down my legs.

"But, I have to train! I have to get better!"

He grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look at him. "You have gotten better. But you're working too hard. Even Koenma is saying your pushing yourself."

I blinked. "You're actually telling me I'm working too hard. You?"

He rolled his eyes before picking me up. I yelled at him as both of us headed under the spray. That's when I realized that he was as naked as I was.

"What are you doing?" I asked as he held me tightly around the waist to him.

"I can't trust you to shower on your own," he answered simply. "Besides, you've been ignoring me lately."

I lay my head on his shoulder to look up at him. "What do you mean?"

His eyes darkened and a smirk pulled at his lips. I couldn't help the groan that slipped from my lips as his hands moved across my body. Two fingers pinched my nipple while his other hand slipped in between my legs, fingers toying with the folds before slipping in to my core. I gasped as his fangs pierced skin, my knees threatening to give out at all the sensations I was feeling.

"Hiei!" I whimpered, my nails digging in to his skin. His touch was setting me on fire; my heart raced in my chest and my breathing quickened.

His hands disappeared for a second before running soap across my flesh, leaving bubble trails to show where they had been. They disappeared again before running through my wet hair, shampoo leaving a lavender scent. I was turned around his arms and warm water poured down over my body. Hiei's hands ran through my hair, removing tangles as well as helping to get rid of the shampoo.

My hands gripped his waist as my eyes closed at his touch. I could feel the twitch of his muscles as my nails dragged across his skin.

A growl tore through his throat before he crushed his lips to mine, initiating a passionate kiss. I found myself pressed up against the wall, his hands lifting me up and allowing me to wrap my legs around his hips, pulling him even closer. I feel the pressure of his manhood pressing against my entrance, almost begging to be let in. I dropped my weight the barest bit so only the tip could enter. I could feel, more than hear, the growl that he pulled from his throat. Rough hands grabbed my hips and pulled me down to impale me against him. I couldn't help the cry of pleasure, muffled by his lips against mine. I threaded my hands in to his hair, creating an easy handhold to try and pull him closer.

One of his hands braced against the wall, the other gripping my hip as his body started to move against mine.

I whined against his lips, begging him to go faster, more than pleased when he did. "Hiei," I cried, knowing that my release would come soon, and from the way that he was slamming his hips in to mine, he wasn't going to last long either. I felt his nails break my skin as he pulled away only to sink his fangs in to his mark on my shoulder. The combined pain and pleasure from the act was enough to push me over the edge, and my muscles clenching around his length was enough to pull him with me.

We slowly fell still, our only movement being our panting. Our eyes were watching the other pair, and I couldn't help but watch as he licked away the blue liquid from his lips. We carefully moved, him helping me to unlock my legs from around him.

I turned off the water, now cold from the time spent in here, before picking up two towels, throwing one to my mate. I took notice of the small pile of cloth that had been left for me. I blushed, red staining my cheeks. _I hope she didn't hear all of that._

I carefully unfolded the blue dress. It was a halter, rather low-cut in the front while exposing most of my back. A strip of fabric ran around the waistline before hanging down the back, waiting to be tied. The soft cloth fell to my knees in an a-line skirt. I pulled on the undergarments before slipping on the dress, reaching around to pull up the zipper before finding another pair of hands already doing it for me. I could feel Hiei's hot breath against my neck as he tied the cloth around my waist. I giggled softly before pulling on the kitten-heeled pumps, then ran a comb through my hair. I pulled to pieces from my temples back, pulling them in to a clip.

I turned to look at my mate, knowing he was already ready to go. He was dressed in a dark red button-up, almost the same shade as his eyes, tucked in to a pair of dress slacks.

"Ready to go?" I asked, leading the way out of the bathroom.

"Hn." He gave me a smirk, which was all of the answer I needed.

"Let's go, then."

* * *

I leaned against the railing of the bridge, looking up at the stars. Dinner had been nice and we had headed out for a walk around the city afterwards. I couldn't help but frown as I looked up at the heavens. I couldn't help but think of my son. _Where are you, Haru?_ I silently asked what ever deity was listening.

I looked away and down at the sidewalk that passed underneath the bridge. I watched a couple walking with a child. The woman's blonde hair flowed behind her, looking bright against the black dress that covered no more than it had to.

I doubled back. _Wait a moment…_

"What are you looking at?" A warm hand made its home on the small of my back as Hiei came up beside me.

I pointed down at the trio. "Don't they look familiar?" My gaze settled on the child with them. Shaggy black hair fell in to black eyes. A red bandana wrapped around his forehead, he didn't seem very interested in what was going on between the now fighting couple as he held on to the woman's hand.

"Haru," I breathed.

The two of us rushed down the stairs of the bridge, praying to reach the trio before they disappeared.

"Haru!" I screamed as I came to a stop in front of them. Hiei held on to my shoulders, making sure that I wouldn't do anything reckless. I knew he wanted our son back just as much as I did.

The couple looked up while the child made no motion. I could see the recognition flash in the blonde's eyes before her lips curled up in to a sneer. "Are you looking for this child?" Aimi asked, picking up the small boy by the wrist, letting him hang limply.

"Haru!" I called again, trying to rush for my child.

Hiei held me back. "What did you do to him?"

The male chuckled, bringing my attention to him. Spiked orange hair stood out, as did the matching eyes. He was large, taller even than Kazuma. Muscles rippled underneath the fabric of his tailored suit. "I made him mine," was his answer.

"Haru!" Tears were falling down my face. Hiei had to move to lock his arms around my waist to keep a better hold me. I reached toward with my son with one arm while the other pulled at Hiei's wrist, trying to get him to let go.

Black eyes settled on me. "Who are you?"

* * *

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated

Violet – Sad

Lavender – Lust


	27. Let's Get 'Em

"Who are you?"

I never thought that I would ever hear words that would tear my heart out the way those did. My tears fell faster from dark purple eyes. "It's me. It's Maman!" I cried out to the child. "Papa is here too!" I was searching for anything to get a reaction. My heart broke when I saw there was none. I stopped struggling against my mate and stared at my son as tears poured down my face. "Haru," I whispered.

"What did you do to him?" Hiei asked again.

The man grinned. "You'll have to get him back to find out." With that said, the trio disappeared in a rush of wind that was strong enough to make us close our eyes.

Tears stung my eyes I stared at the place where my son and his captors had just stood. Thank Kami that Hiei had his arms wrapped around my waist still, because my knees gave out. My mate slowly lowered me to the ground, still holding me tightly. "Our son. Our child. He was so close," I whispered, turning my head to look up at my mate.

His jaw was set in a way that gave away how angry he was. I watched as he reached in to his pocket, pulling out his communicator. "Portal," he growled.

His call was answered when the swirling vortex opened slightly to the right of us. The fact that I wasn't allowed to walk was made apparent when the jaganshi scooped me up in to his arms. I didn't protest as I gripped the fabric of his shirt, resting my head over his heart as tears still streamed down my face. I didn't let go even when he placed me down on the couch.

"What happened?" I felt a body sit down on the cushion next to me, causing me to look over at the visitor. Yusuke's hand gently landed on my shoulder. "What's going on?"

Fresh trails appeared to flow even faster. "We saw Haru," I answered quietly, my voice cracking every so often because of sobs.

Hiei kneeled down in front of me, allowing my arms to lock around his shoulders while I slid off the couch in to his embrace.

"He doesn't remember us," he explained quietly. "He's under some sort of curse that locks his memories away and forces him to obey that man." Hiei's grip tightened around me,

"Geeze," Yusuke sighed as he fell back against the couch. "Do you remember what the man looked like?"

I nodded against my mate's shoulder. "Taller than Kazuma, built well, spiked orange hair and orange eyes. I think he has some control over wind, but I can't be sure."

"Why would you say that?" a new voice asked. The three of us looked over to see Kurama was now sitting in a chair listening to our story.

"When he disappeared, it was during a very strong gust of wind. Strong enough that we had to close our eyes." I hugged Hiei tighter, like I was drowning and he was my only tie to survival.

"I'll try and put the information you have given me in to the computer and see what I can come up with." We all jumped as we realized that Koenma had been watching us through the television set.

Hiei and I moved to sit on the couch while watching Koenma enter the information in to his system.

"His name is Kaze and you were correct in assuming he was a wind demon." A picture of the demon we had run in to earlier. "He's wanted for human trafficking. He's the suspect in the case I had you watching Amaya and Aimi for. But it appears that Aimi has been working for him."  
"What?"

We turned to look at the enrage blonde. "Aimi is behind this?" Amaya hissed.

Koenma nodded. "We have reason to believe, and the evidence to back it up, that this claim is true."  
"Do you know where to find them?" Yusuke asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

The spirit looked thoughtful as he searched. "We have it narrowed down to an area in the Makai that he's been seen in a lot. He must feel sure about what he is doing if he's coming out of hiding and in to the Ningenkai."

"But why did he take Haru?" I whispered, gripping my mate even tighter, almost afraid that he would be taken from me as well.

"We don't know."

Yusuke stood up, cracking his knuckles. "Can we go get him back?"

Koenma smiled. "Thought you'd never ask. The portal is ready to go. See you when you get back."

At the sound of that, Hiei and I headed quickly upstairs to change out of the formal wear. It was much more comfortable to fight in jeans, a light pair of boots, and a racer-back shirt than a dress.

I glanced at Hiei, smirking when I saw him already changed and tying his katana to his belt. I approached him as I tied my hair back in to a high ponytail. "Ready to get our son back?"

"Let's go."

* * *

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated

Violet – Sad

Lavender – Lust


	28. The Final Chapter

**Author's Note:** Did a little rewriting, so hopefully some questions are answered. Enjoy!

* * *

"Miyuki, are you in position yet?"

I nodded, not remembering that Kurama's voice was coming through the earpiece and radio and not from beside me. "Yes. I'm looking down on the entrance," I whispered. I had quickly scaled the wall and was perched on a flagpole that was just above the entrance to the castle that Kaze had claimed as his. I didn't have to worry too much about being spotted. The fog was thick and hard to see through, making me with my light skin tone almost invisible.

"Do you see anyone?" Yusuke asked this time.

I shook my head, forgetting again. "No. No one in sight."

"Good. Let's move in, guys!"

I could barely make out of the forms of the team as they approached the door. I felt Hiei's presence more than heard him as he appeared behind me on the pole. I stood up, easily keeping my balance as I turned to face him.

"Ready?" he quietly asked.

I nodded.

It was our job to enter from above while the others entered from the ground level, hoping to cause enough of a distraction that we could steal back our son.

Creating a foothold by weaving his fingers together, I stepped up and allowed him to use his strength to throw me up to the top of the wall. I heaved myself over as he jumped up to meet me. Together, we looked out upon the courtyard.

There wasn't very much we could see from our vantage point due to the fog, but there was no one around. This made it almost unnerving. Especially since we could hear the sound of fighting from below. I glanced toward Hiei. _Is the fog hiding a force field of some kind?_

_{I'm not sure.}_ He started moving away from me along the top of the wall, signaling that I should do the same.

Moving as silently as possible, I scooted around the edges of the wall, keeping eyes and ears open for any signs of movement as we scouted. After moving around the perimeter, and finding nothing out of the ordinary, we dropped down to the next level. How were we supposed to realize that we were going to land right in between two guards. Whoops. It didn't take long for Hiei and I to dispatch them before they noticed what was going on.

_{That was close.}  
_

_You're telling me._

We started following the path, realizing that we could now actually sense people around us and that there was no fog was we dropped in to the castle itself.

_So, the fog must be the force field itself. It hides energy signatures and makes it hard to see._

_{Makes it hard to do a sneak attack when you have no idea of the forces inside.}_

The path led my mate and me to a set of stairs, heading deep in to the castle and away from the courtyard were our friends were still fighting.

The air felt different as we went farther down the dark passage. I could hear the sound of Hiei drawing his sword from its sheath and took that as a cue to draw my knives, holding them at the ready. We were so close to our son, I could feel him. I just hoped there was a chance that he would remember us.

The hallway leveled out so the two of us slowed down, making sure to keep all eyes on our surroundings. Even so, the door at the end of the hallway seemed to appear out of nowhere, the giant double doors seeming to open on their own. That when we realized a certain succubus was standing there with a twisted grin on her lips. "We've been expecting you." Aimi turned away from us then, heading through the doors and away from us.

I glanced at Hiei, but both of us realized there was nowhere we could go but to follow the bitch. We followed cautiously, neither of us sheathing our weapons.

"Welcome! Finally, you have arrived!" a booming male voice rung, giving away that the space was large, just before the lights turned on, momentarily blinding us.

As the spot cleared, we realized that we were in an underground arena, a booth up above and someone else in the ring with us.

"Haru!" I cried, laying eyes on my son for the first time in ages. Black eyes looked toward me though no recognition showed. He pulled at the red band around his forehead, something I had not given him.

_Hiei…_

_{I'm guessing that too.}_

"Give me my son back!" I yelled up at the booth, knowing that Aimi and that bastard Kaze were up there watching us as we spoke.

"I think not. He's my son now."

Hiei growled. "I'll take them, you get Haru."

As soon as the words left his mouth, we dashed away from each other, heading towards our prospective targets: Hiei to the booth, and my son and me in the ring.

Haru seemed to be quite different from the son I know. He held a knife, about the same size as mine, but in his tiny hands it was like a sword. And he was growing in to his speed. I dodged a few swipes before whipping one of my knives just past his head, ripping the red band that didn't belong there, easy seeing as we had just started training him to fight. I stopped as it fell to the floor, and Haru landed on his knees, his eyes a flurry of changing colors. There was a lot of orange and white, but some dark blue and purple as well as he tried to recall what had happened.

He looked up at me, his eyes white with fear. "Maman?"

"Yes, it's Maman." I dropped to my knees and scooped up my son, holding him tightly for just a moment. "Come on. We need to go help Papa."

Just as I spoke, the glass on the front of the booth exploded outward, Kaze following before slamming in to the opposite wall. Hiei followed shortly afterward, covered in blood that wasn't his own, landing easily in the center of the ring, staring down the near-death wind demon. Looking up at the booth, you could see a female arm smeared with blood hanging limply through the broken glass.

"Never mind, Papa has finished cleaning up already," I said, walking with my son toward my mate.

"No! This can't be!" coughed the dying man. "He was supposed to help me win! Help me beat him?"

"Beat who?" I asked, holding my son back from going anywhere near Kaze.

"Beat the Master of the Jagan! Beat you! He was supposed to weaken you!"

My mate simply smirked. "You were slightly off the mark." A flick of the wrist and the wind demon's head disappeared off of his shoulders.

"Papa!" the child cried, running towards his father. Hiei, blood and all, heaved up his son and held him just as tightly as I had.

I couldn't help but smile as I wrapped my arms around both of them, holding my little family tightly. "Let's go grab the other boys and head home."

"Sounds good."

"We're done out here!" Yusuke's voice called from the still open double doors. Kazuma and Kurama trailing after them.

I chuckled slightly. "And we're done in here as well." I gave my boy a quick kiss on the temple. "Let's go home."

"Let's go!" Kazuma threw a fist up in the air just as a portal home appeared next to us.

We clambered through, ending up in the living room just before we were engulfed in hugs from everyone who had missed Haru and had been worried about us in the process.

"Miyuki-chan?"

I looked to see Ayama beside me. "Yes?"

"Have you made a decision yet? About your scars?"

I smiled slightly. "I think I'm going to keep them. As a reminder."

She returned my smile just before giving me a small hug. After being released, I was gathered up in to Hiei's arms for a steamy kiss.

We were home to stay, and no one was going to ruin that.

* * *

**Eye Chart:**

Black – Someone else is in control

White – Fear

Red – Anger

Pink – Love

Yellow – Happy

Grey – Pain

Orange – Confused

Blue – Calm

Dark Blue – Guilty

Light Green – Sick

Dark Green – Jealousy

Brown – Violated

Violet – Sad

Lavender – Lust


End file.
